ASH: A Maximum Ride Novel
by Issi Herondale
Summary: SET AFTER FANG NO ANGEL/NEVERMORE  Fang left Max, then Max left the Flock. Now it's almost 20 years later, Max is missing and her daughter, Ash, is dealing with meeting the Flock for the first time. But, sooner or later she has to meet Fang at the cliff. Will Max be found? What part of the story don't we know? SEQUEL UP!
1. Preface (ASH)

**This is my first Maximum Ride fanfic so please tell me what you think. I will update as soon as I can (Lizzy stole chapter 1-4. Thanks Lizzy). Also please read my other fanfic if you like Twilight. It's about what would have happened if Edward had never some back in New Moon. Yup. I'm going to shut up now.**

* * *

><p><strong>THIS STORY SKIPS FROM THIS CHAPTER TO 20 YEARS LATER AND IT IS MAINLY TOLD FROM MAX'S DAUGHTER'S POINT OF VIEW!<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>MAX POV<strong>

Tears roll down my cheeks, while my eyes stay fixed on a cave, just as they have been for hours, as I sit unmoving. The tree is hard and cold against my back. I let out a huff.

Why? I think, Why? Was I not enough, was I wrong? Did he ever truly love me? Or was I just an idiot to think so? I sigh in displeasure. No matter how much I blame myself or I blame him, he isn't coming back. He's gone and always will be.

My stomach growls loudly.

Ignore it I think.

I know I can't ignore what my body tells me any longer. I must eat. Because I know that with each passing day the life that grows inside me slowly dies, while it screams out for me to save it. Eating is my only hope for survival, my baby's only chance for survival. Any longer and we'll org be dead. Once more my stomach growls loudly.

I struggle to stand up, even with the help of the tree's branches. I stand up much too quickly for me to get balanced, and my head spins, making me feel as if I might throw up. Much to my distaste I start falling out of the tree.

My wings quickly snap out and I catch myself. I float to the edge of the lake to clean my self up before I leave. My reflection startles me.

I see a girl with brown hair with blonde and red streaks, which is tangled. She is wearing an oversized purple sweatshirt and faded blue jeans.

I pull up the sweatshirt to my ribs. Sadly it shows nothing but the truth. How long has it been? Four months? Five months?

My fingers trace along my swollen stomach, which is firm. I rest my hand at the top, where it begins to protrude. The baby gives me a slight kick, making my heart jump. I can't deny the love I feel for the child, even if it is a constant reminder that I'm all alone in the world.

No matter how long I stare at the serene waters of Lake Mead, I know that I must leave this place.

I quickly pull down my shirt and launch myself into the air.

I look to the future, praying that it will be everything that he promised. A future where we are together as a family. Me, him and our baby, our small, precious unborn baby. But the future is unpredictable and unreliable. No matter how much we plan it, life has its own map.

In twenty years I know I may return and I may not. What the future holds only time can tell. But if I do return I will not return alone but with a child; Fang's child.

**soo… did ya tbink ? Please tell me cause I will never know if you don't review! Love ya'll. I accept name ideas for character names. I might even do some contests for you. Also if you are one of the first ten reviewers I will let you name a character (I promise it will be in the story).**

**Thanks,**

**Lillie **


	2. Ash (ASH)

**Sorry I have been gone so long, I am not going to make lame excuses this time. Sooo here it is**

* * *

><p><strong>ASH POV<strong>

**Los Angeles**

The sun shines as I walk done the hot Los Angeles street. People are everywhere; teenage girls talking about boyfriends and fashion and people playing loud music on speakers. I sigh sadly knowing I never truly got to experience this life and I never will.

My eyes land on a mother who is holding her daughter's hand as they walk. I try to imagine what it would be like to never have to live I fear of losing someone, the way the little does. My thoughts are interrupted by a sickening sound.

I turn around. Behind me stands a creature that is half man and half wolf.

"Eraser," I think to myself

My heart races so rapidly it threatens to beat right out of my chest. My head throbs as a headache begins to form. My eyes hurt.

Run I think to myself

But before I can the Eraser grabs me. I start screaming and kicking. Nobody even turns to look. They all just keep going about their business. Why won't they help me?

"What's wrong with you?" I scream,

They still ignore me.

"Why won't you help me? " I think.

I continue screaming for help; which is a drastic measure because I was taught that if you want it done right you do it yourself. The Eraser rips my body apart limb my limb. No matter how much I scream, kick and thrash, but nobody come to help me. Finally everything goes black and the pain fades away.

"I'm dead," I think.

* * *

><p>A giant crash breaks the deathly silence. My eyes fly open and I jerk forward. I'm in a bed; my bed. It was a dream, just a dream. My breaths are heavy with relief and fright. As if on cue my alarm clock sounds; signifying another day.<p>

"The same dream," I think.

Once more I have had the same dream only this time there was an inexplicable difference, I actually died this time. Just then a memory interrupts my thoughts.

"There was a giant crash," I think.

Quickly and silently I grab the gun on the dresser next to my bed and then tiptoe in a sneaky manner to the door of my room. I open the door slowly and walk out into the cold hall. I look left and the right. Nothing. But I still keep walking. When I get to the kitchen I find a very suspiciously ashamed looking cat with jet black fur and one piercing blue eye and one piercing green eye. Next to her on the floor lies a shattered glass plate.

"God, Luca, you scared me," I chuckle as I walk over, pick up the little black cat and set my gun on the counter.

"What am I going to do with you!" I say scratching her ears.

Luca is the best cat ever. She is as sweet as can be, talks a ton but underneath all her amazing qualities she is the biggest trouble makers in the history of cats. I look over at the clock above the kitchen table.

"I'm sorry Luca but I have to go get ready for work," I tell the cat as I set her down, then walk over to the pantry pull out a coffee pot, place it on the stove, and the turn the stove on.

I walk to my bedroom and go through my drawers until I find some sweats and a t-shirt suitable to wear to work. Once I finish getting dressed I walk back to the kitchen, get myself a cup from the cupboard, pour myself a cup of coffee and turn off the stove. Coffee is then only solution for the Monday morning jitters the vibes through me in a consuming form.

I drink the coffee slowly, so that I don't burn my tongue. But as usual I burn myself any ways. After I finish my coffee I go back to my room and start on my makeup. After a crap load of concealer, red lipstick and blush I look as flawless as a Barbie (just how I should be by my works standards).

I am officially ready for my day. I grab my keys, say goodbye to Luca and head out to my car. Before I can open my car door a wave of nausea rushes through me and I am throwing up.

"Oh, god," I think.

I know what this means and trust me when I say it is not good. I breathe in and out slowly trying to calm myself. And then it happens.

"Hello Ash," the voice says.

**So there it is. I will try to update soon. PLEASE REVIEW!**

**~Lillie (:**

1. Preface (REVISED)2. Ash3. Choices4. Lila5. Leaving6. Mrs President7. Positive8. What Happens In Vegas9. Confession10. Author's Announcement11. Come Back As A Blonde12. Character Info 113. Character Info 214. AN15. Should Have Said No16. Baby17. Chicago Under Fire18. The Hospital19. Too Close20. Author's Questions21. Things I'll Never Tell22. Dylan23. Don't Trust The Men In Black24. You Are Six25. Max?26. For Your Mother27. Family Ties28. Crashing Down29. Remembering30. Dance (I) REVISED NOTE AT END OF CHAPTER31. Dance (II)


	3. Choices (ASH)

**JENNIFER'S POV**

**New** **York**

"Run," I tell myself, "Run."

The wolf creature tears through the forest after me.

"Run, run, don't look back, run."

I hear what sounds like a baby in the distance. The shrieks fill the air around me, only making me run faster. Suddenly I am in a clearing.

I see a brown woven basket sitting on a large rock. I run to it with all the strength and speed I can muster. I peer inside once I get to the basket and see a baby with flaming red hair. I somehow recognize it.

"A-, Ash-, Ashley," I mumble. It seems so familiar and yet wrong at the same time.

I reach on the basket, trying snatch the baby, but before I can run something grabs me.

* * *

><p>I feel coldness envelope me. My eyes open wide with start. I see Sam lying next to me with his arms on my shoulders. I sigh.<p>

"It happened again didn't it?" I ask.

He nods. Pushes my hair out of my face. I smile faintly.

"Thank you for waking me up," I tell him, "What time is it?"

"6:25 a.m.," he says, "We have thirty-five minutes before we need to get up, do you want to talk about it?"

"No," I whisper.

He pulls me close to his chest and kisses me on the top of the head. I put my arms around him and snuggle closer, seeking warmth and comfort.

"No kids or bosses or work, just you and me." He says, "What do you think?"

"I like the sound of it, just us all alone," I tell him, "But I've been thinking about something recently."

"What?" he asks.

"Well, Henry is seven, Annicka is five and Lewis is two, almost three now and I'm getting older. So I was thinking maybe since it's pretty much now or never it would be a good time to have another baby."

"Yeah," he says, "Recently, I've been thinking the same thing. So…. Yes I think we should."

"Really!" I exclaim, "Oh, honey, thank you soooo much."

I kiss him the lips. He then rolls us over so that he is on top of me. We continue kissing until we can't anymore. Sam rolls us back over, and I lay on his chest. We just stay in the bed silently, until the alarm clock goes off.

I groan, wishing that we had more time. But knowing that i have to get ready for work, I quickly hug him and get out of bed. Nothing could make me feel better right now than the though of another baby. I put on a white blouse and black pencil skirt. Just as I bend over to pick up my favorite red high heels I notice he is still laying in bed.

"Are you going to get up?" I ask.

"Yeah, I was just thinking," He says.

"Oh, okay," I say as I go to the bed and give him another kiss.

I back away and start to leave and go get the kids up. Just as I am about to open the door to Lewis's room I hear him call my name.

"Yeah?" I ask.

"Tonight," He calls, "Tonight."

I smile and open the door. I see that Lewis is already awake and waiting for me.

"Hi honey," I coo, picking him up.

Lewis giggles, and I kiss him on the forehead. I then walk him over to his changing table to get him out of his pajamas and into his play clothes.

Once we finish, I take him downstairs, to the kitchen, Henry and Annicka are already waiting.

"Mommy!" Annicka exclaims, running up to me and hugging me around my legs.

"Good morning sweetie," I say.

Annicka lets go of me and goes to sit at the table. I set Lewis down and he goes to sit next to her. I look over at Henry, who hasn't said a single word to me.

"Is everything okay?" I ask him.

""Yeah," he says, sleepily," I'm just hungry."

"Oh," I laugh,' I'll make you breakfast if you want."

"NO!" Henry and Annicka cry at the same time.

I look at them in shock. Just then Sam walks in. He walks over to me and kisses me on the cheek.

"I promised the kids that I would make them breakfast this morning," he tells me.

"Yeah," I grumble," I'm sure you did. Because nobody in this family likes my cooking."

* * *

><p><strong>So there is chapter 6. Please, Please, Please tell me what you think. Oh, also please tell me if you think I should keep Lila as a character of have her be gone.<strong>

**Anyway, I love you all so much,**

**~Lillie **

**P.S. PLEASE ANSWER THE POLL; YOU CAN HELP DECIDE WHAT HAPPENS AT THE CLIFF**!


	4. Lila (ASH)

**ASH POV**

**Disneyland**

I pull my car into the parking lot of work. After I take a quick look in the mirror and hop out of the car. I try best to look normal as I pass through the entrance gates.

_Don't look weird, I think_

I calmly stroll into the dressing rooms and walk to my room. When I get there I see a pink ball gown with a huge matching hoop skirt and next to it (of course) is a small white corset. I carefully take the dress off its hanger and examine the dress. I look over it's every detail, from the fine pink pearl embroidery on the bodice to the small stitching of the seams. I can't help but feel excited.

"Wow," I hear behind me.

I turn to see Lila in the doorway, looking from me to the dress. I know Lila would never be jealous, but I can't help but notice the hint of want in her eyes.

"Maybe you should call them stingy sometimes and see what you get," I tell her.

She laughs and walks over to me. She allows herself to reach out and touch the fabric. This is a big step for Lila considering that she never really lets herself be self indulgent.

"Come on," She says, "I'll help you get into it."

"Thank you," I whisper.

Lila has a way of doing this to me. She has this calming effect that wipes away all the sadness and replaces it with genuine modesty, love and trust. Lila is one of the only people who knows who I really am. She knows everything about me from how my mother was taken eight years ago to how my father doesn't even know he has a daughter. Lila is the closest thing I have to a family other than Luca. She is my sister whether we are related or not.

After she helps lace up the corset and gets me into the dress she looks me over and nods in approval.

"I can't say I'll miss the green. Also your red hair looks perfect with that pink. I don't think any other girl could pull this dress off as well as you do," Lila tells me.

"Thank you, Lila," I say as I throw my arms around her.

I can't imagine life without Lila to help me through everything. Sometimes I do worry for her though.

_How can I live with myself when I put her in danger every day, I think_

_**The same way your mother lived with putting your father in danger. Love, Ash, Love the voice tells my**_

_Just go away already, I tell it_

_**If I went away now I couldn't tell you what I know, now could I**_

_And what do you know? I ask_

**Okay so there is chapter four, I hope you like it.**

**Love you all,**

**~Lillie **


	5. Leaving (ASH)

**ASH POV**

**Disneyland**_  
><em>

_And what would that be? I almost snarl_

_**Now, now, Ash there is no need to be rude**_

_Are you going to tell me or not?_

I wait a few moments but an answer never comes. Why does this always happen. God, the voice can be an asshole. It just tells you it knows something and then it freaking disappears.

Lila let's go of me and steps back. She looks into my eyes the same way my mother used to, back before she was taken. I know she can sense something is wrong. But, instead of asking me what's wrong she just pulls be back into a hug and pats my hair.

"Let's talk later," she says when she finally releases me again.

"Okay," I say and then try to make myself look busy by fumbling around with the makeup on the vanity.

"Oh, and Ash," She says as she is about to walk out the door, "Don't forget your contacts."

"Thanks," I call after her.

After I pop my blue contacts in I look at myself in the mirror. I can see that Lila was right, although I would never admit it to her. Then again maybe Lila would somehow get me to openly agree with her, just like she always does. Before I leave I put in my old fashioned, white and black, button up boots. And after another quick glance in the mirror I leave and don't look back, because somehow I know that this is the last time I will ever be in my little dressing room.

I fight as hard as I can to hold back the tears. Before long I hear Lila behind me. I turn to see her in her blue dress with her hair curled. In the last seconds before the gates open I run and give a hug.

"Thank you for everything," I tell her, "I love you. And no matter what, you will always be my sister."

_**Ash, I know where the Flock is**_

**Sorry the chapter was so short but I had a time limit on the computer. Thank you so much for still continuing on, to those of you who have been here for the past year. And to those of you who are new, I hope you will continue on.**

**P.S. Tell me if you think she should ever see Lila again, cause right now I'm not sure where Lila is going as a character. Also I have a poll up and I would really appreciate if you would vote on it (it's about what should happen at the cave when Ash meets fang for the first time)**

**Thank You All So Much!**

**~Lillie **


	6. Mrs President (ASH)

**JENNIFER POV**

**New York**

"Good morning, Marissa," I say to my assistant as I walk into the office.

Good morning Mrs. Afton," She says, looking up from her desk.

I can tell she is slightly afraid of me, just like everybody is. It is this advantage that puts me at the top of this company. I know that nobody can really identify what makes them afraid of me, they just are. I rule all those around me, well, everyone except for Sam. But, Sam is a rare exception.

I walk into the meeting room and as usual Marissa rushes in and pulls the chair back for me so that I can sit down. A small smirk appears on my face right before I turn to look at her.

"Thank you, Marissa," I say.

"You're w-welcome, Mrs. Afton," Marissa stutters.

I look down at my watch, which of course is covered in diamonds. The hand strikes the nine. Right on the dot Mr. Reed, the CEO of the company walks in the room with his briefcase under his arm. The first thing I see when he walks in is his crooked tie.

I laugh and walk over to him. He looks at me very confused and then checks to see if it is something behind him. When he doesn't see anything out of the ordinary he turns back to look at me.

"Your tie, Mr. Reed, is not on straight," I chuckle.

I reach up and straighten it out for him. He takes my hands in his and places them on his chest, then kisses my cheek. I smile and wrap my arms around his waist. He does the same and I squeeze him tightly.

Alright, I know what you're thinking; the bitch is sleeping with the CEO. But, the truth is James (Mr. Reed) and I have been friends since we were children and our parents were friends when they were children. There is nothing romantic going on between me and James. And besides, why would the president sleep with the CEO, it's not like I can really sleep my way to the top.

When he finally lets go of me I look up at him. I can tell something has happened.

"What's going on?" I ask.

"Well," he says, "As you can see I came in this morning a little disheveled-"

"And?" I interrupt.

"You didn't let me finish, Jenn," He tells me, "This morning Karrey, told me she's pregnant."

"Oh, James," I cry as I throw my arms around his neck.

He stumbles back onto the coffee table and we laugh. I hear a coughing noise behind us and I let go of James and turn around. I see Sam standing in the doorway.

"What's going on," He asks casually.

"James just told me Karrey's pregnant," I tell him.

"Congratulations, man," he says, "I'd give you a hug, but I really have to go. I only came by to drop off the president's lunch."

"That's okay," James tells him.

Sam says goodbye to us and leaves. And just before me and James, have more time to talk the rest of the company officiates walk into the room and end our moment. I give James a quick look telling him that we'll talk later and I head back to my seat. But, for some reason I can't concentrate on the meeting. Something feels wrong.

**So there is chapter 6. Please, Please, Please tell me what you think. Oh, also please tell me if you think I should keep Lila as a character of have her be gone.**

**Anyway, I love you all so much,**

**~Lillie **

**P.S. PLEASE ANSWER THE POLL; YOU CAN HELP DECIDE WHAT HAPPENS AT THE CLIFF!**


	7. Positive (ASH)

**MAX POV**

**Colorado**

I pace the floor nervously with one hand covering my mouth. I try to subdue my nausea by sitting on the toilet seat. I place my head on the cold, hard counter top.

"Oh, god, how could this happen?" I whisper to myself.

**You know how Max. I think that even you are smart enough to understand the basic concept of the Birds and Bees, at least, even if you weren't smart enough to say no., the Voice taunts.**

**_This is no time to screw around with me_**, I snarl.

**Max, you know that I wouldn't be screwing around with you if you hadn't screwed around in the first place. I mean I'm not the one who got into this mess, am I?**

**_JUST SHUT UP!_**

I hear the timer on the counter go off. I gasp for air. Deep breaths aren't enough to calm me right now. Maybe if I take a bath I can escape reality for a moment. I turn on the faucet and I plug the the bathtub, so that the water can't escape.

I stand up, keeping my eyes off the far end of the sink. I double check that the bathroom door is locked. After locking the door, I flip on the fan. I walk back to the edge of the tub, and wait.

Once the tub is full I take off my clothes and sink into the hot water. I don't think I just immerse myself in my surroundings. I ignore everything that has ever happened and everything that will happen. Nothing can pull me out of my state of peace and rest.

Or so I think until I hear a knock at the door. I quickly push my head to the surface. Trying to keep calm I take in the cold air against my face and close my eyes.

"Who is it?" I cough.

"It's mom."

"What?" I croak.

"It's dinner time. I just wanted to know if you are coming downstairs," Mom asks.

I stop to think. Should I eat? I definitely should, considering I can't remember the last thing I ate. But I really don't feel up to food.

**You need to eat Max**

**_You don't tell me what I can and cannot do_**

**Think about it Max, you need to be healthy**

**_Fine, you win. Are you happy?_**

I groan in defeat. Since when do I let the Voice boss me around? Ha! I, Maximum Ride actually took an order from someone other than myself.

"Yeah, I'll be down in a little bit. I just need to finish taking my bath," I tell her.

I hear my mom sigh in relief. I know she will go downstairs and tell everybody the good news; Max is finally eating. I guess it had been like two months since I have eaten a proper meal.

"Alright, honey, I'll see you in a few minutes," she tells me.

When she leaves I can't find a way back to the place I was before. Why did she have to interrupt me? I was finally a peace and she ruined it. A few moment to myself, that's all I wanted.

Still not able to find my happy place again, I get out of the bathtub and wrap a towel around my body. I walk up to the mirror and wipe away the steam. I haven't looked at myself in the mirror in the last two months, not since Fang left, and now I can definitely see why I have everyone so worried. I had gotten skinnier and when you are already skinny, getting skinnier is bad. But, then again I had been stressed out, grieving and not eating.

I stare down at the counter, not daring to look at what the test says. I throw the little white sticks between my clothes and I ball them up. I quickly grab the small bundle and dart down the hall. Just before I reach my door I slam into somebody.

Iggy rams into the wall and I fall onto the floor. I desperately clutch the towel.

"Holy crap, Max!" Iggy yells.

Thank god he is blind, because right now I'm pretty sure that the towel isn't covering everything!

'What are you doing!" He asks, reaching his hand out and helping me of the floor.

I try to push past him, but he moves so that he is standing in front of my bedroom door.

" I'm going to my room," I tell him, "Now, get out of my way!"

"Geez, Max," he says, moving out of the way and then sulking down the hall.

I can tell it hurt him. The first time in months that I speak directly to him I yell at him. Don't think about it, don't think about.

When I enter my room, I lock my door and sink to the floor. I press my back to the door and take a deep breath. This could be the moment that changes my life forever.

I take the small white sticks out of my bundle of clothes. I take another deep breath and look down.

The test is positive. I'm pregnant.


	8. What Happens In Vegas (ASH)

** ASH POV**

**Las Vegas**

I was right. That night Erasers showed up as I was walking to my car. I managed to get away and run home. When I got there I put Luca in her carrier, changed, grabbed my bags and I left. I planned to go back later, for the rest of my stuff.

After leaving Los Angeles I decided that I would go to Vegas. When I get there I call Ian. Ian and I had been together for about two years, ever since we met in school. Yes, I went to school.

Anyways he tells me he is on his way and that we will stay in a hotel. Before he arrives I go to the MGM and book a room. It may not be a suite, but it wasn't the least expensive room.

I get to the room, feed Luca (I smuggled her in, which wasn't easy) and decide to take a nap. But before I do I go and give one of the room keys to the receptionist, so Ian will be able to get into the room. Not a second after falling onto the bed I fall asleep.

I feel a warm kiss on my cheek about an hour later. I shock Ian by jumping off the bed and wrapping my arms and legs around him and giving him a full kiss on the mouth. This causes him to fall in top of me and begin kissing me. After a few minutes I roll on top of him, where we stay for at least another half hour.

When we finally break apart we lay in the bed, unspeaking. I slowly move closer and we wrap our arms around each other. All I can do is look into his sea blue eyes

"Why did you leave?" he asks.

"I was attacked by some people and I knew that something bad was going to happen and I didn't want anyone I love to get hurt," I tell him.

"I would never let something like that happen," he says, "I'm stronger than you think."

"Not a human type of strong."

"Well maybe I'm not the human type of strong," he tells me.

I laugh, thinking he's joking, but the look on his face tells me that he isn't l. I raise my eyebrows in a confused questioning way.

"Maybe I should have told you this a long time ago, but I didn't want you to leave me. I'm in love with you so much that I've always told myself that I would never tell you," he starts, getting off the bed.

"Tell me what?" I ask, "Shit, you aren't a serial killer, are you?"

"No," he laughs as he pulls his shirt over his head.

"Then what?" I ask, staring at his perfect eight pack.

Before I know it he turns around and I am staring at a boy with a 16 foot wingspan. By the time he turns around I am crying. He gets on the bed and hugs me.

"Are you okay?" he wonders out loud.

I nod and bury my face in his chest.

"You're okay with this?"

I nod again, look up and kiss him.

"Okay," he's says unwrapping himself from me, "I've been thinking about doing this for a while and now I'm sure I want to."

He stands up and I scoot to the edge of the bed. He paces for a moment and then walks to the window. A minute later he is holding my hands in his and he has one knee resting on the floor.

"Ashler Ella Marie Ride, I have loved you from the moment we first met and I always will," he says, "I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?"

"Yes," I gasp as he pulls out a little, black velvet box.

He opens the box and looks at me, as if he wants to make sure. I nod and give him my left hand. He pulls the ring out and places it on my finger.

I stare at the Caribbean blue diamond for a moment before I throw my arms around him and pull his face to mine.

"There's something I have to tell you," I whisper.

"What?" he asks when I let go of him and stand up.

"This," I say as I pull my shirt off.

I grab a blanket off the bed and unhook my bra. I wrap the blanket around my body and take of the bra.

"Are you ready?" I ask.

He nods and I turn around. I clutch the blanket in my right hand and let it drop from the rest of my body. I hear his breath hitch as I unfurl my wings.

I rewrap my body a turn to face him.

"What are you thinking?" I ask

"I'm thinking that I'm very in love with you" he tells me, "and that I'm marrying you tonight."

That night we find a normal, non-Elvis, church to get married in. The evening flies by extremely fast and the next thing I know I'm married.

We get back to the hotel room late around 10. I pull Ian to the bed and he lands on top of me.

"Oh my god," I gasp.

"What?" Ian asks.

"I'm not Ashler Ride anymore," I tell him.

"No," he tells me, "You're Ashler Mares now."

He lies on top of me and kisses me for what seems like hours. I kiss him back and let him put his hands up my shirt. Before I know it he is kissing my neck.

"Wait," I say.

"What?" he asks, rolling off me.

"I think we should wait to have sex," I tell him.

"Okay, but that doesn't mean that I can't do this," he says as he slips my shirt over my head.

"No," I laugh, "It doesn't."

The next morning I wake up in top of Ian, without my shirt or bra on. I look at his sleeping face and kiss him on the lips.

"Good morning," I whisper.

His eyes flutter for a second before they open. He runs his hands up my back and then leans to kiss me before he rolls over to lie on top of me.

"Hey," he says, "We have a big day ahead of us."

"Oh," I ask, "Do we?"

"Yes, we're picking out your wedding ring today," he tells me.

"Really?!" I exclaim.

"Of course, Princess Ariel," he laughs.

"Shut up!" I tell him, "Just because I worked in Disneyland and I'm a redhead doesn't mean that I'm a princess."

"Okay," he tells me, "Fine."

I push him off me, stand up and wrap my arms around my chest. He frowns a little bit and I laugh. What can I say?

"Just give me a minute and then we can go," I tell him as I walk to the bathroom.

"Something tells me that I'm going to be waiting a while before you come back out," he muses.

"Probably," I call.

"I will wait for you in the lobby," he calls back.

"Mrs. Mares," he adds.

Once I hear the door close I look in the mirror. For some reason I appear different. I'm glowing all over. Something flashes against the mirror.

I look down and see the bright blue diamond on my ring finger. I laugh in disbelief.

"Oh my god," I whisper," I really am married."

**Sorry I haven't been able to update! I have really missed everyone and I hope you can forgive me! So as a little bit of bribery I am posting two chapters today.**

**BTW, I just wanted to let you all know that you can email any ideas, suggestions, future character name or whatever else at: TheFanficsOfLillie0146 **

**~Lillie **


	9. Confession (ASH)

**ELLA POV**

**Seattle**

"Ig," I call as I set the grocery bags on the counter.

I hear a something being played on the TV in the living room, so I decide to see what he's watching. Of course, as expected, it's football. Ever since Iggy had gotten his eyes fixed, 10 years before, he would watch football every day. He said he wanted to get them fixed so that he could see me on our wedding day.

"Oh, hey Ellz," he says looking up from the TV.

"Football, again?" I ask.

"Yeah. You shouldn't be bringing in the groceries on your own, baby," he tells me, seeing that a grocery bag is still in my hand.

I laugh. He wouldn't let me hardly do anything anymore. If I wanted something Iggy got it for me. If I wanted to watch a shitty romance movie we watched it. Anything at all and Iggy would do it.

"I'm pregnant, not disabled, Iggy."

"Whatever you say, Ellz," he tells me, "It's the least I can do, you know? I got you pregnant. It's not like this was really planned."

"I helped you get me pregnant, so shut up," I say, "And we'd been talking about having another baby for a while, which qualifies this baby as planned."

"Speaking of babies, have you seen Qor and Beckett, any time recently?" he asks.

"I'm their mother, so that answers that idiotic question, while telling me that you forgot to pick them up from school," I tell him, "And don't you dare ask if I have seen our other son. He is inside me, just in case that happened to also slip your mind, which sadly belongs to a man."

"Oh, Ella," he says as he stands up and hugs me, "I hear every word you say."

"Fine," I laugh, "What time is my mom coming over for dinner?"

"Shit!" He gasps.

"Just go get ready," I tell him.

"I can't believe I was caught," he whimpers as he lets me go and walks away.

"Don't feel bad, you still have at least another 50 years of being married to me. So I'm sure you'll have time to do even more idiotic things," I remind him.

After picking up Qor I drive back home to start making dinner. Iggy still isn't done getting ready when Qor and I get home. When it comes to my mom he has to make sure he looks perfect.

"Go see what your dad is doing," I tell Qor and Beckett.

After quick nods Qor and Beckett runs upstairs. I know they'll probably tell Iggy that I won't talk to him for a week, if he doesn't come down now. Which, just for the record, only happened once. But that doesn't matter because Qor was too little when that happened, so he doesn't remember, he only has heard stories. And Beckett, well she had just been born then.

_**Flashback**_

I was done with work for the day. I know they say it gets harder after the kids are born, but they never tell you what going back to work is like after being a stay at home mom for seven years.

"See you tomorrow," I tell Casey, the receptionist.

"Bye, Ella," she calls, "Kiss your babies for me."

"I will," I call back.

By the time I get home it's already two o'clock, half an hour after I normally get home. I don't hear any noise so I know that Iggy must have taken the kids somewhere. Sure enough, when I walk into the kitchen I see a note on the counter.

_**Ella,**_

_**I took Qor and Beckett to the park. I should be home around five. I also wanted to let you know that Nudge called.**_

_**I love you,**_

_**Iggy**_

Well at least he let me know where he is this time.

I call Nudge and invite her to dinner. Iggy still hasn't come back by the time she shows up. Iggy returns a couple of hours later. Without Beckett.

"Where the hell is Beckett?!" I ask him after telling Qor to go play upstairs.

He looks at the ground and kicks his feet a little bit.

"I lost her," he whispers.

"You did what?!" I scream.

"Oh, god," Nudge says, "I'm going to be sitting in a gray cement room eating crappy donuts, while police ask me if I want coffee and whether or not I know where they can find Iggy's body."

"Not the time, Nudge," I growl.

"How the fuck did you lose my daughter?" I ask Iggy as I slam him into the wall.

"Well," he starts, "Me and Qor-"

"Qor and I," Nudge corrects.

We both glare at her and yell, "Not now, Nudge!"

"Well, we went to the park and Qor wanted to play on the monkey bars and a mom offered to watch Beckett for me so I could help him," he tells me, "So about five minutes later I told Qor that I had to go and check on Beckett, but when I went to check on her she was gone."

"So what you're telling me is that she has been missing for hours and you didn't tell me!" I scream.

"I've been looking for her," he whispers.

"Get out!" I yell, letting go of him, "And don't you dare come back until you have found her!"

_**End of Flashback**_

Iggy was very lucky. About half an hour after Iggy left the police called. They told me that the mother Iggy had left Beckett with had taken her for a short walk but when she got back Iggy was gone. She had looked for him, but when she didn't find him she called 911 and after they came and got Beckett they found my phone number and called me.

Of course they all laughed when I told them that they would probably be arresting me the next day when my husband was reported missing. I don't think they really understood that I wasn't joking. But in the end I just didn't talk to him or let him take care of the kids for a week or let him sleep in our room. Which was very hard on Iggy because he loved taking care of them and he didn't have a wife for an entire week. I even refused to make breakfasts, lunches or dinners for him.

A few minutes later Iggy comes downstairs and kisses me in the cheek.

"Will you please start dinner?" I ask him, "I have to get ready."

"Of course," he tells me.

After thanking him up walk upstairs to change. I'm really happy that the rest of the Flock isn't coming over, because I'm too self-conscious for that, right now. Being six months pregnant and having the body the size of a whale could do that to a woman. Which was funny considering that I hadn't been this way when I was pregnant before.

After I finally choose a dress that makes me feel somewhat more confident I put on my makeup. Just as I start to walk downstairs I hear the doorbell ring.

"Grandma is here!" Beckett yells.

"Hey Mom," I say pulling her into an embrace.

"Oh, Ella, you've gotten so big," she tells me.

"I know, don't remind me," I grumble.

"It's not so bad," she laughs.

During dinner she tells me about how she is going to move to Seattle to live closer to the Flock and how Jeb is too.

"Great," I mutter, "Why would he do that?"

"The rest of the Flock lives here and he wants to be closer," she tells me.

"He hasn't spoken to us in over a year," Iggy reminds her.

"Well," she says, "I think it's safe to assume that Max will move here to be with you. After all it has almost been 20 years."

I feel like I can't breathe. Nobody has said her name out loud since she left. Worst of all, I am the only one who knows why she left.

"Are you okay, Ella?" Iggy asks as I stand up to leave.

"I'm fine," I tell him.

I walk outside and begin to cry. That's all I can do, until I feel my mom's arms wrap around me.

"What's wrong," she asks.

"I think something happened to Max," I tell her.

"How do you know that, Ella?"

"I know because 14 years ago when I saw them she promised that she would contact me every once in a while," I cry.

"You saw her?" Mom asks.

"Yes. I saw her and-" I try to say.

"Max and who, Ella?"

"Max and Ash," I tell her.

"Is Ash her boyfriend," she asks.

"No, Ash is her daughter," I whisper.

I look up and my mom's face. She goes completely still and silent. Maybe I shouldn't have told her. But I have been holding Max's secret in for 20 years and since the first person I tell is our mother I feel fine with it. But I can tell my mom may never forgive me for not telling her about seeing Max or that Max had a baby.

_**So, what do you think? Whatever thoughts you have please tell me! Cause I'm not getting very many reviews, so I'm not sure if it is good, bad or needs work!**_

_**PLEASE REVIEW!**_

_**LOVE YOU ALL**_

_**~LILLIE**_

_**REMEMBER TO EMAIL ME TheFanficsOfLillie0146 hotmail . com**_


	10. Come Back As A Blonde (ASH)

**ASH POV**

**Las Vegas**

"I can't believe I'm helping you do this," Ian says while he hands me a towel as I get out of the shower.

He's still not happy about me dying my hair blonde, to make me look like my mom.

"What, are you mad that you can't call me Princess Ariel anymore?" I ask, ringing out my hair.

"Oh, I may not be able to call you Princess Ariel anymore, but I can call you Cinderella now, thanks to that new blonde hair of yours," he tells me, picking me up bridal style.

I let out a small shriek. He carries me into the other room and sets me on the bed. I pull him on top of me and kiss him. After a few minutes of kissing I push him off me and stand up.

"I have to go," I tell him as I walk away.

"No," he whines, pulling off my towel.

I turn around and glare at him. He puts his lower lip out, trying to look sad, as he stares at my body.

"What are you staring at?"I ask.

"Nothing that great looking," he tells me.

"You are such an asshole!" I yell, picking up a book from the desk and throwing it at his head, before turning to walk to the closet.

He dodges and jumps off the bed. He grabs me by my waist and spins me around to face him. His mouth crashes into mine and I throw my arms around his neck.

"How long are you going to be gone?" he asks when we break apart.

"As long as it takes," I whisper into his chest.

"Are you sure that pretending to be your mom is a good idea? What if the Flock is still really mad a her and they hurt you? I don't want anything to happen to you just because you want to meet your father."

"Nothing is going to happen," I assure him.

"We've only been married a month and you're already leaving me for another man," he complains.

I roll my eyes and let go of him. Ian knows that I will never do anything like that. Not now, not ever. And of all people I could leave him for Fang, my father, isn't one of them.

After I finish getting dressed Ian and I hug and kiss, before saying goodbye. I never thought I would get married, but now that I am anything I do that hurts Ian or causes strain in our marriage feels a million times worse than when I had been shot or had been in a fight. For some reason Ian has changed me and I am no longer as tough as my mother raised me to be.

**Seattle**

I get there in a blink of an eye thanks to my mom's sonic flying speed. After a few minutes of searching I find the house I'm looking for. I don't even have to check the address I have written down. The house is sleek, stylish and modern, it just screams Nudge. But it's soft sandy brown color gives it a hint of Angel.

I breath in deeply, check to make sure that my wedding and engagement ring are secured on a chain around my neck and I walk up the stairs and to the front door. After another deep breath I knock on the door. A minute later the door opens and I see Nudge standing dumbfounded, unable to move.

She slams the door on my face and I hear screaming coming from inside the house. All of the sudden the door opens and Nudge is pointing and me. I jump back, startled.

"What is it now, Nudge?" A voice asks.

"M...mmmm...maaa... Max," she stutters.

The voice walks to the open door. It's Angel. I can tell by her blonde hair and bright blue eyes.

"Oh, Max," she gasps, and she runs and hugs me.

"I've missed you Angel," I tell her.

"Where the hell have you been?!" Angel asks, letting go and pushing me in the shoulders.

I wasn't prepared for this. So I have nothing to say. All I can do is shake my head.

"You don't want to know," I add, when I finally manage to recover.

"Just get inside," she tells me.

"This is unbelievable," I here Nudge whisper to Angel as I enter the house.

I make up a story and tell it to them. I tell them that when I left I went to look for Fang and about how that was all I had been doing for the past 20 years. But I had never found him.

"Do you know where he is?" I ask them.

"No. He left us, remember. You of all people should know what leaving and telling your family not to look for you is like," Nudge tells me bitterly.

A moment later Nudge explodes with anger.

"WHAT DID YOU THINK WAS GOING TO HAPPEN WHEN YOU LEFT US?! DID YOU THINK THAT YOU COULD JUST SHOW UP AND EVERYTHING WOULD BE FINE? I WAS 12 YEARS OLD MAX! YOU LEFT US! AND IT'S NOT LIKE IGGY COULD HANDLE RUNNING THE FLOCK, HE WAS BLIND! AND ANGEL! YOU WERE HER MOTHER!" She screams at me.

"I'm sorry," I whisper, "I never meant to hurt you."

I know that they don't understand that I'm not saying sorry that I left them, because I didn't. My mom did. I'm sorry because I brought up all of their old feelings.

Angel takes my hand and pulls me outside.

"It's okay," she tells me, as she pulls me into a hug and smooths my hair.

"When did you become so grown up?" I ask her.

In all the pictures I had seen she looked like, well, an angel. My mom always described her as sweet. But she also described her as grown up and yet very immature at times. I can tell that Angel has come a long way in the past 20 years.

"Come on, lets get you inside," she says.

Nudge apologizes when I come back inside.

"It's okay," I tell her, "I had that coming."

If I'm going to pretend that I'm my mother I have to stop being me. I can't be Ash anymore. Not right now, at least. From this moment on I am Max. Maximum Ride.

**Please tell me what you think! Cause right now nobody's really reviewing and for all I know this is the worst fanfiction ever. As you know, if you have read my other fanfiction, I am thinking of deleting it. So if you want to save it you need to let me know now.**

**PLEASE REVIEW I DON'T KNOW IF PEOPLE LIKE MU STORY OR IF IT IS EVEN WORTH CONTINUING IF YOU DON'T REVIEW!**

**I EVEN HAVE AN EMAIL ADDRESS JUST FOR YOU TO EMAIL ME AT ABOUT FANFICTIONS! SO IF YOU DON'T WANT TO PUBLICLY REVIEW YOU CAN EMAIL ME AT TheFanficsOfLillie0146 Hotmail . Com**

**ALSO IF YOU EVER WONDERED WHAT ASH LOOKS LIKE YOU CAN CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW! I HAND DREW THIS PICTURE. AND JUST IN CASE THERE IS SOME CONFUSION MAX** **AND ****ASH LOOK EXACTLY ALIKE ONLY ASH HAS RED HAIR AND MAX HAS BLONDE HAIR (but Ash dyed her hair blonde to look like Max, in this chapter)**

** #/photos/84721442 N06/7756198684/**

**~Lillie**


	11. Should Have Said No (ASH)

**Ash:**

**FULL NAME: **

Ashler Ella Marie Ride Mares

She hasn't told her family that she's married, so she just goes by Ash/Ashler Ride (but she's pretending to be Max right now)

**FAMILY**

Mother: Maximum Ride

Father: Fang (no last name, yet)

Husband: Ian Mares

**DESCRIPTION**

Age: 19 years and 5 months as a hint to how far away we are from the twenty year marker Max gave birth to Ash six months after Fang left, so there is only a month until Max is supposed to meet Fang at the cliff. (Max was three months pregnant when Fang left, she left the Flock when she was five months pregnant. That just shows you how long Max told herself that she wasn't pregnant. Also she wasn't eating so it didn't show that she was pregnant)

Hair: red (You know Max hates that)

Eyes: chocolate brown

Height: 5"8

**PERSONALITY**

She is like Max, but she is softer (she wasn't raised like Max, so she doesn't have quit the same personality). She is more loving, especially with Ian, but she will put her foot down. She is curious, after all she never met her father (hint hint). She is more connected to the outside world, she may keep it on the down low, but she is much more social.

**PETS**: Luca the cat (don't worry, Ian has Luca, back at the hotel)

* * *

><p><strong>Ian:<strong>

**FULL NAME**: Ian Mares (no current middle name)

**FAMILY**

Mother: ?

Father: ? (I know, haha)

Wife: Ashler Ride

Kids: none (he hasn't even had sex with his wife yet)

**DESCRIPTION**

Age: 21

Hair: honey

Eyes: blue

Height: 6"3

**PERSONALITY**

Ian is loving and caring. He would never let anyone hurt the people he loves. He has a small dark side, which may come out sooner or later.

**PETS**: Luca the cat (the cat may be his by marriage but it's the closest thing he has a kid, it's gonna be a while until Ash agrees to kids)

**Character **

**Ella**

**FULL NAME:** Ella Claire Martinez James

**FAMILY**

Mother: Valencia Martinez

Father: ?

Husband: Iggy James

Kids:

Son: Qor Grayson James (age 7)

Daughter: Beckett November James(age 5)

Unborn baby (son, 5 months)

**DESCRIPTION**

Age: 33

Hair: dark brown

Eyes: brown

Height: 5"6

**PERSONALITY**

Ella is loving and caring. She loves her children and husband very much. She may curse when angry but she rarely means it (unless you happen to lose her 2 month old daughter in the park). She misses her older sister often, and niece.

**PETS:** none

**Iggy**

FULL NAME: Iggy James (he chose the last name James to remind him of a time when he wasn't Iggy and he was just a normal baby named James)

**FAMILY**

Mother: Mrs. Griffiths

Father: Mr. Griffiths

Wife: Ella James

Kids:

Son: Qor Grayson James (age 7)

Daughter: Beckett November James(age 5)

Unborn baby (son, 5 months)

**DESCRIPTION**

Age: 35

Hair: sandy blonde

Eyes: green

Height: 6"1

**PERSONALITY**

Iggy is protective of his family, but helpless when it comes to Ella. Ella can be hard on Iggy, but he knows that she loves him and he doesn't mind. He has accepted his past, from before he was Iggy. He occasionally sends letters to the Griffiths to remind them of the son the missed out on, because of how they wanted to use him to make money.

**PETS: none**

* * *

><p><strong>ASH POV <strong>

**Seattle**

I wake up two days later feeling very stressed. Angel invited Gazzy to dinner at the house. Why is this bad? He is a freaking bomb technician! She tells me that "I" have missed a lot in the past 20 years.

Angel tells me that my "mom" lives a couple hours away, in Wenatchee. She says it's because there are lots of horses and she sometimes gets to treat wildlife. I also learn that Ella married Iggy and they have two kids together ( with another baby on the way).

Nudge married some guy, named Brian. But he wasn't here because he had taken their daughter, Kinsey, on a business trip to New York. During the day Kinsey was touring fancy private schools, while Brian was in meetings. They wouldn't be back for about two months. Apparently Kinsey is as picky and fashion conscious as Nudge.

Angel lives with Nudge and her family, but she is probably going to move in with her boyfriend, Carter, soon. Angel and Carter had been going out for three years. Nudge told me, when Angel wasn't around, that there was a rumor going around the Flock that Carter was going to propose any day. Angel doesn't listen to them though.

"We need to get you new clothes," Nudge tells me as she motions to my entire body with disgust.

I look at her in disbelief. She really is like my mom described her. All I do is try to dress like my mom did and I have to get a makeover because of it. Yes I am a girlier girl than my mom, but that doesn't mean you can just go and give me a makeover.

"No," I tell her.

"Did you just tell me no?" she asks, raising her eyebrows.

"Yes, I did."

"I don't think you did," she smirks, putting her face close to mine, "Because if you did you can pack your ass up and leave."

"Um... What I meant to say was that I did understand and that no I did not buy this anywhere you would approve of."

"Good," she says, "Now go get in the car."

Half an hour later we arrive at some store called... Never mind I can't even remember the name. All I know is that this is going to cost a lot of money. Especially with all the stuff she is making me try on and keep.

"Oh, I like that," Angel says to me as I walk out of the dressing room.

I'm wearing a formal, teal blue evening dress. They even find some matching shoes. Great. My life is now complete.

"The dress will even go with your rings that you wear around your neck," Nudge tells me.

I instinctively bring a hand to my neck to cover the rings. How could I be so stupid? Most girls don't wear rings around their necks. And I am supposed to be single. Rings usually mean married.

"Is that the promise ring Fang bought for you?" Nudge asks.

Perfect! I do remember my mother mentioning my father giving her a promise ring for her birthday one year.

"Yes! I can't believe you remember that. It was a little over 20 years ago." I exclaim.

"And the other ring?" she questions.

Shit. I didn't remember about my wedding ring. It's never about the wedding ring, it's always about the engagement ring.

"It was a gift from a friend," I tell her, which is true because Ian is a friend, he just happens to be my husband too.

"Oh, I see," Nudge says.

We end up buying about three-thousand dollars worth of clothing from the one little boutique. Of course the teal evening dress cost a good fraction of the total.

"Why did we get an evening dress? I ask.

"Because Nudge lied when she said that Gazzy is coming over for dinner. We're really going out to dinner." Angel says as we pull into the driveway.

"Why do I need a fancy dress for that?" I ask.

"We're going to The Herbfarm." Nudge tells me casually.

"Nudge! You didn't say we were going there. We should go somewhere nicer!" Angel exclaims.

"Angel, it costs like $500 per person. I hardly think that's not nice enough." Nudge laughs.

Their fight over where we should eat dinner continues all the way into the house. They don't say one word to me about dinner. In facto they don't even talk to me until it's time to go.

We get to the restaurant around six. But Gazzy, of course, is running late. He arrives 45 minutes later, with his girlfriend, Jory.

"I think we should order a bottle," Nudge says, while she looks over the menu.

Everybody immediately agrees, except me. I have never drunk before. I'm only 19.

"What do you think?" Nudge asks.

"Oh, um... Yeah, of course," I nod.

"So, it's settled. We're getting the wine," Angel says.

A little while later we order our food. We spend the first hour talking about the good old times we used to have, not like I remember any of them. It goes really well until Jory starts asking questions, and by then I'm drunk.

"So, Max why did you leave the Flock?" she asks.

"That... Is a great question... You should ask Max," I slur.

"I am asking you, Max," Jory tells me.

"Oh, yeah..." I say after thinking hard for a minute,"Fang had sex with her, so Max left."

"Woah," Nudge gasps.

Then all of the sudden Nudge and Gazzy start trying to get answers out of me.

"Shut up!" Angel yells,"Are you drunk, Max?

"A little bit," I tell her groggily, putting my head on her shoulder.

"That's it. I'm taking you home," she tells me as she pulls me to my feet.

"No," I whine.

"Yes," she says,"Nudge I have to take her home, she's embarrassing herself. Can I drive her home?"

" Sure," Nudge tells her, "I'll take a taxi."

Angel drives in silence. When we get home she takes me to my room and puts me on the bed.

"Haven't you ever drank before?" she asks.

"No, too young," I mumble.

"Too young?" she laughs, "You're 36, Max. I really don't think you're too young."

"I'm not Max," I tell her before I fall I to a deep sleep.

The next morning I wake up feeling like shit. All I can do is lay in bed. Until a sudden wave of nausea hits me and I have to run to the bathroom.

When I finish throwing up I brush my teeth and put on some different clothes. Angel didn't even bother changing me before putting me to bed. I continue getting ready until I hear a knock on the bedroom door.

"Come in, I'll be out in a minute" I call.

I walk into the bedroom and see Angel sitting on the bed.

"Hey," she says, "We need to talk, "Max".

I'm in shock. But I do notice the emphasis on the way she says Max.

**Okay, that took me like to days to write. For some reason I couldn't put everything together properly. But I did in the end! So please tell what you think! Also the photo thing is still going on. I have tried Flickr, DeviantArt and postingthe photos as the fanfics image. Nothing has worked. Please help! The 3 people who give me a website will get a chapter before I post it or they get to know about something that is going to happen or a secret about a character(THEY CHOOSE). So please help!**

**~Lillie**


	12. Baby (ASH)

**So here is the next chapter. Sorry it's been so long!**

**MAX POV**

**NEW HAVEN**

"Push Max!" Sophie yells at me, "I see the head!"

I shake my head and tell her that I can't to it.

"You have to if you want to have this baby," she tells me.

But I don't want this baby. I always try to pretend I'm happy about it and yet I'm not. Sophie wants this baby, not me.

I never knew that I could have a best friend, until I met Sophie. She never judged me when I told her my story. All she did was bring me home the day that she found me in the woods, unconscious in a pool of blood. I have been with her for four months and she is already like my sister.

"I don't want this baby," I moan in pain as another contraction comes.

"Yes you do Max," she says,"You know you want it. I know you want it. If you didn't you wouldn't have cared so much when I found you."

Sophie found me a couple of days after I left the Flock. My body had been trying to miscarry the baby and I had lost 75% of my blood by the time she found me. Sophie hadn't thought that I would live but I did and she had been letting me live with her for the past four months.

The day Sophie found me I had flown at least 1,000 miles. It was difficult because I hadn't done any flying in at least two months. For some reason I thought that I could handle it, but I was wrong. Later that night I started bleeding and it wouldn't stop.

I tried to find help and ended up by a barn, but I lost consciousness when I made it the the barn's door. There must have been animals inside that I woke up, because Sophie came out to see what what was wrong with her horses. When she got to the barn she found me. Sophie thought I was dead at first because I was barely breathing. Somehow she managed to drag me into her house all by herself.

By the time I woke up it had already been a week and Sophie had discovered my wings. I don't think I would be alive if it weren't for her. The luckiest part about it is that Sophie is a medical student that attends the local college. And when I say local I mean she goes to Yale.

Another contraction comes and this time I can't fight my body's instinct to push.

"Good Max!" Sophie praises, "You only have like two more pushes and the baby will be out."

When the next contraction comes I close my eyes and push as hard as I can. Moments later I hear crying coming from the baby. I open my eyes and I see Sophie taking the baby to give it a bath.

When Sophie comes back she has the baby wrapped righty in a blanket and wearing a little beanie on it's head.

"What is it?" I ask as she hands me the baby.

"A girl," she beams.

I look down at my baby. She is so small. She is too small.

"She is a little smaller than a preemie but she is perfectly healthy and normal," she says, seeing the confused look on my face.

"Normal?" I croak.

"Don't worry Max she has wings," Sophie laughs.

But before I can sigh in relief a sharp pain goes through my body and I gasp. This can't be right. Something is terribly wrong. I'm going to die after all.

"It's just the placenta," Sophie tells me, "We'll deliver it and then you'll be done. All you have to do is push like you did before."

A few minutes later I have delivered the placenta and I finally get to relax. As I look down at the baby I realize that I do want her. It's not the baby's fault that her father is gone. It's not even her fault that she exists. It's mine. Well mine and Fang's.

"What are you going to name her?" Sophie asks about half an hour after I have given birth.

"I... I... I don't know," I confess, staring at the baby's deep, chocolate brown eyes.

"Let's brainstorm," she says.

"Okay," I agree.

Over the next hour Sophie throws a bunch of different names at me.

"What about Lacy?" she asks.

"No," I tell her.

"Taylor?"

"Absolutely not!"

"Sabrina?"

"Sabrina the Teenage Witch," I mutter.

"Carly?"

"iCarly."

"Oh my god Max!" Sophie yells, "You are impossible! I can't take it anymore!"

"I'm sorry," I whisper.

"Let's just watch a movie or something," she huffs.

"Fine," I nod, feeling really bad.

About two hours later we've found a movie and I'm sitting in my bed, next to Sophie holding the baby, who is asleep by now. Sophie is so nice that she moved her 150 pound tv into the bedroom just so that I wouldn't have to get up. The movie is starting to get on my nerves though. All I keep hearing is Scarlett either bitching about Ashley to Rhett, bitching at Ashley or bitching about Ashley to herself.

"Ashley this Ashley that," I complain, "Ashley is like the only thing she says in this movie. Ashley love me, Ashley run away with me, Ashley marry me! Fuck Ashley!"

Sophie pauses the movie and scowls at me.

"It's not Ashley's fault okay!" she growls.

Suddenly a light bulb goes off in my head.

"What's a similar name to Ashley?" I ask.

"I don't know," she says, "Asher?"

"Ashley, Asher, Ashley, Asher, Ashley, Asher," I repeat over and over again aloud.

I keep repeating it even though Sophie continues to stare at me.

"Ashler!" I yell.

"Where are we going with this?" Sophie asks me irritably.

"A name for the baby," I tell her.

"Oh," she nods," I like it. It is unique and original and cute."

"I can call her Ash for short," I say stroking the baby's cheeks.

She stirs slightly but doesn't open her eyes. I lean down an kiss her on the forehead, softly.

"You could have named her Ashley," Sophie tells me.

"Why is that?" I ask, not looking up.

"Because they're both redheads," she giggles, "But actually Ash has redder hair than a redhead."

"WAIT WHAT?!" I yell, ripping the beanie of the baby's head and waking her up.

There it is, the reddest hair I have ever seen in my life. And it belongs to my baby, who lays screaming in my arms. I HAVE A FUCKING REDHEAD AS A BABY!

**Okay! So that was not the chapter that I originally intended to publish. This chapter was supposed to be an Ash POV but for some reason I just can't write the rest of that chapter. So it may be a couple of chapters until we see her again, which means there will only be Ella, Jen and maybe even Fang or Ian POVs for a little bit. And btw if you are a beta for me you will be PMd or emailed the Ash/Angel chapter that is unfinished really soon (as in tommorow). Anyways I knew it had been a while since I updated so I knew I had to write something.**

**ALSO! IF YOU REVIEW CAN YOU PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK OF THE NAME ASHLER, CAUSE I SAW A YAHOO THING ABOUT USING IT AS A BABY NAME ( I actually made up the name myself, but sometimes it turns out to be a real name. But I've never heard it used and I needed an original name) AND ALL THE PEOPLE HATED THE NAME.**

**So you know what to do! REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!**

**~Lillie :)**


	13. Chicago Under Fire (ASH)

**FANG POV **

**CHICAGO**

**NOTE: Fang also goes by Nick Carlyle**

"Good morning," I say kissing Hannah on the top of her head.

"Hey," she responds never looking up from her magazine and taking a bite of her cereal.

"Where is Georgia?" I ask.

"She's in the shower," she tells me after taking a big bite of cereal.

After a couple more bites of cereal Hannah puts her bowl in the sink and yells down the hall for Georgia to hurry up.

"Where are you going?" I ask when Hannah sits next to me at the table.

"To the mall," she says.

"With who?" I interrogate her.

"Oh geez," Hannah laughs, "We're going with Claire, Ryan, and Jackson."

I raise my eyebrows and say "I know you did not just tell me you are going to the mall with Ryan."

"Well!" she sneerss, "Look who decided to be a parent."

"I just don't want you to do anything stupid," I tell her.

"I know," she mocks,"You don't want Georgia and I to be like our mom."

"I didn't say that," I manage to say before she angrily stands up and stomps to her room.

* * *

><p>Fifteen minutes later Georgia comes out of her room wearing an extremely short skirt. Before she can sit next to me I stand up and push down the hall into her room. I close the door and wait in the hall.<p>

When she comes out she gives me an annoyed look and folds her arms over her chest. But at least she's wearing leggings.

"You know the drill, Georgia," I say to her.

"I know, I was just hoping you wouldn't notice this time," she pouts.

"Now hand me your purse," I tell her.

"Damn it!" she growls handing it to me.

I open the purse and inside I find the skirt I just made her take off. And a bright pink thong which I take out and hold in the air.

"Where did this come from," I ask.

"I don't know," she says nonchalantly.

"Yeah," I laugh, "I'm sure you don't. So until we figure out where this came from I'm going to confiscate it and put it into my evidence box."

"Arg!" she cries throwing herself facedown onto the couch.

I go to my room and shove the skirt and thong into the box of other things I have confiscated from the girls.

* * *

><p>By the time I get back to the family room both girls are gone as well as the keys to the bug.<p>

"Great," I mumble.

* * *

><p>As I drive to my office I decide that when I get home I'm going to ground them for a year. That should do it. They'll never do anything again. No by then Hannah will be 18 and Georgia will be 17. The would never forgive me if I did that.<p>

I can't afford both of them hating me forever. They were born a year apart, so when one leaves the other is leaving right after. Losing them will be hard but it's going to happen anyways.

"The photographer from Forbes magazine is waiting in your office," my assistant, John, tells me as I get out of the elevator.

"Anything else?" I ask.

"Um, Maggie, your secretary said that Seventeen called about featuring Hannah and Georgia on the cover of next month's edition. And they wanted to have you in the spread pages with the girls," he says.

"Tell them that I'm sure the girls would to be in next month's issue but I am unavailable," I order him.

I turn around after I don't hear him respond.

"What?" I ask.

"Nothing," John mumbles.

"What?" I repeat.

"It's been 16 years since she passed away. And I just don't understand why you still insist on hiding as much as possible," he says.

"Have you ever loved anyone?" I ask,"Because if you have you should understand. Especially if you didn't get to spend the rest of your life with her like you were supposed to."

"I'm sorry," John whispers looking down at the floor.

I dismiss him and walk to my office. When I get there I see the photographer sitting at my desk, waiting. I go and sit behind the desk and greet him.

* * *

><p>As we finish the photo shoot my business partner, Mark, walks into my office.<p>

"It looks like the world will finally get to meet Nick Carlyle," Mark laughs, "Also known as the worlds most influential man of all time."

"It's no big deal," I shrug.

"No big deal?!" he scoffs,"You're one of the richest men alive."

"I'm just Nick," I tell him.

"Well, "just Nick"," he rolls his eyes," Are you excited for your vacation next week?"

"Vacation?" I ask.

"Uh huh," he says in confusion," The one you, Hannah and Georgia are going on."

"Oh, right," I blurt,"It's been a long time since I've heard the word vacation, so it's foreign."

"Oh," he laughs nervously, "For a second I was worried you were lying to me about the vacation."

"No," I tell him,"I haven't really talked about the whole vacation thing a lot, cause I haven't told the girls."

"Oh," he nods, "I get it. You're trying to surprise them."

"Yep," I say," We're going to just spend a couple week traveling around to different landmarks and then we're leaving the US to tour the outback of Australia for a month and then we are going to go visit ANU, in Canberra."

"Wow," he sighs," Hannah is really serious about going to school there, isn't she?"

"Yeah, she is. I'll be sad when she leaves. I can't believe she's already going to be a senior in high school," I tell him.

"Well, she has to go off on her own ad see the world," he consoles," I think it's a little bit tougher since you're a single parent. But she's a good kid so you don't have to worry."

"I know but I still worry," I confess.

"She isn't Mary," Mark assures me.

* * *

><p>"She isn't Mary" keeps replaying in my head as I drive home after work. What did Mark mean when he said that? Mark new a different Mary than the one I knew. Because the Mary I knew had put her party days behind her and she was ready for Hannah when she gave birth to her.<p>

When I pull into the garage I just sit in the car for a moment before getting out and going into the family room and turning on the tv. After flipping through a couple channels I settle on watching the news. Before sitting down I decide to make a bowl of soup.

"Please excuse the interruption, but we are just getting word that there has been a shooting at the Atrium Mall," the news anchor reports," We now go to Peter, who is at the scene."

"Thank you, Lori," Peter starts," We don't know much about what occurred inside the mall, only that there are 17 injured, 12 of which are teens under the age of 18. And there are 9 dead. All of the 9 dead are teens who attend Jones College Prep. We also know that 1 of the 17 injured is a teenage girl who is in critical condition and has been taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital. We are told that it is unlikely that she will live. And so far her parents have not been able to be reached by the police."

Before I can fully realize that Hannah and Georgia went to that mall I hear a a knock at the door. I take a quick glance back at the tv before walking to the hallway to open the door. When I open the door I am standing face to face with a police officer.

"Hello sir," he says," Are you Mr. Nick Carlyle?

"Yes," I gulp.

"We would like you to come with us," he tells me, motioning to his police car, where a policewoman stands.

I also see the rest of the neighborhood standing on the sidewalk some have curious looks on their faces while others already know why the police are here. I take a deep breath and close the door as I step outside the house.

The last thing I hear before getting into the police car is the policewoman telling me that she is very sorry and the loud beating of my racing heart.

**Okay! I finally finished that chapter! It's a bit of a cliffhanger. What happened to Hannah and Georgia? **

**BTW I just wanted to say that unless it it clearly marked as Mav POV chapter or a flashback everything you read is in present time. **

**That's all I really have to say other than please REVIEW and THANK YOU FOR READING!**

**~Lillie :)**


	14. The Hospital (ASH)

**FANG POV **

**CHICAGO**

Once the police pull up to the hospital and I get out of the car I am immediately surrounded by reporters wanting me to answer their questions.

"Move out of the way!" the policeman, who brought me here, barks.

None of the reporters stop until the policeman puts a hand on his gun. He then escorts me to the intensive care floor of the hospital.

"Please fill these out these forms," the nurse tells me.

I nod and take the forms and a pen. After ten minutes I am done and I go to turn them in.

"Is their mother coming?" the nurse asks as I hand her the forms.

I shake my head and she raises her eyebrows in surprise.

"She's dead," I tell her.

Before the nurse can apologize I turn and walk back to my seat, to wait for the doctor.

* * *

><p>I wait for over an hour, just staring at the floor. Tired, of waiting I get up to go ask the nurse what is taking so long.<p>

"Nick Carlyle?" I hear a doctor call as I approach the nurses desk.

"That's me," I answer, walking over to him.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Matthews, I was sent to inform you that Georgia got out of surgery half an hour ago, you can go see her now," he tells me.

"Okay," I sigh in relief," Where is Hannah?"

"Hannah," Dr. Matthews asks.

"Yeah, she's Georgia's older sister," I say.

"There is no other girl, Mr. Carlyle. Maybe you should go speak with Georgia," he tells me.

"Alright," I agree reluctantly," Will you show me to Georgia's room?"

"Of course," he smiles, before leading me to her room.

"Hey," I say as I walk into the room.

"Hi," Georgia moans.

I take a chair from the corner of the room to move it by head of the bed and sit down. I take one of Georgia's hands and kiss it.

"I was so worried," I tell her.

"I almost died," she whispers.

"I know," I say, beginning to cry.

"Will you tell me about Mom?" she asks.

"I don't know what to tell you," I gasp slightly, from shock.

Georgia has never asked about her before now.

"Tell me what she was like," Georgia says softly.

"Well," I start," She was really strong. Mom wasn't afraid of anything. When she was told she probably wouldn't live if she had you, she didn't care about herself. She only cared that you would get to live. It wasn't that she was sickly it was just that her body couldn't handle having another baby so soon after giving birth to Hannah. Your dad had been killed in battle right after he had been redeployed. Mom hadn't even known she was pregnant with you when he was killed, so he never knew. But I knew and I promised Mom that if anything happened I would take care of you and Hannah. And when Mom passed away after you were born I did what I promised I would do. I bought a house and moved us out of the city, to the Chicago suburbs."

"Why did Mom give you up?" she asks.

"She was only sixteen when she had me and our grandparents wouldn't let her keep me so they told her that i died. And she couldn't have kept me anyways because I have wings," I tell her.

"But we had wings too" she observes,"Before they were removed."

"I never told you this," I explain," but our grandfather was a scientist who worked at the School and he genetically altered Mom. So, even though she didn't have wings he made it so if she ever had kids they would have wings too."

"Oh," she mumbles.

"Georgia, where is Hannah?" I ask.

"About 20 minutes before the shooting, Hannah left to go somewhere with Ryan and she left me alone with Claire and Jackson," she starts crying," I assumed she just wanted to be alone with him, so I didn't think it was any big deal. And after I was shot and I was being loaded into the ambulance I saw them bringing Hannah out of the mall in handcuffs before they put her in the police car. But the thing is, I never saw who shot me because they shot me from behind. I heard that the police shot and killed the person who did it and I realize that I never saw Ryan."

"Oh, god," I whisper.

"You don't think that Hannah had anything to do with it do you?" she sobs.

"Of course not," I assure her.

She breathes in deeply a couple of times and stares at the ceiling.

"Georgia," I say.

"Yeah," she asks after she wipes her eyes with her hands, making her mascara smudge.

"I have to prepare you," I say calmly as I reach up to wipe away the mascara," all of the people who were killed go to your school. And most of the injured were teenagers who probably also go to Jones Prep."

Georgia suddenly squeezes her eyes shut and clenches my hand very hard.

"Whats wrong Georgia?" I ask.

One of the machines she is connected to suddenly starts beeping rapidly.

"Georgia!" I yell as I start to shake her frantically.

A nurse comes up behind me and pulls me out of the room and doctors begin to run from all directions.

"She's going into a coma!" one of the doctors yells.

I break free from the nurse and run up to Dr. Matthews who is also in Georgia's room.

"What's wrong with her?!" I demand, grabbing him by the arm.

"She rejected the blood we gave her," he tells me.

"Take mine," I gasp rolling up my sleeve.

"What?" he asks," I don't understand."

"Take it!" I yell at him.

"Follow me sir," he says and pulls me down the hall to a nurses station.

"Please take two pints of blood from Mr. Carlyle and send it to room 32A immediately," he instructs the head nurse.

"No," I interrupt," Take six pints."

"You won't live if we take that much blood," the nurse tells me.

"I'll be fine," I insist," I heal quicker than humans."

"Okay," the nurse nods, understanding what I mean," Come with me."

I follow her to a crash cart, where she quickly sets everything up. She

sits me down in a chair and puts a pillow. After she quickly tied the elastic band around my arm she inserts the needle into the crook of my arm. 20 minutes later she comes to take the sixth pint of blood and deliver it to Georgia's doctors.

"She's stable," the nurse tells me as she takes the needle out of my arm and throws it away

I thank her for her help and I go back to the waiting room. After another hour I am allowed to go see Georgia again.

"You look better," I tell her.

"I feel better," Georgia laughs softly.

"Do you remember what happened?" I ask, sitting back where I was before the commotion started.

"No," she frowns," But I did have a dream.

"What did you dream about," I ask brushing her hair out of her face.

"I dreamed about Mom," she tells me," Mom told me I was going to be okay and that she loves us. And she wanted me to tell you to say hi to Ash for her."

"Ash?" I inquire.

"Yeah, Mom told me that she wishes she could be here to see her," Georgia says.

"I don't know anybody named Ash," I tell her.

"Oh, okay. Mom must have made a mistake," she says groggily.

A few moments later Georgia falls asleep and I follow. For some reason I hope I will see Mom, even though I know I won't.


	15. Too Close (ASH)

**MAX POV**

"How does this work!" I scream pulling on the carseat.

Ash starts screaming in my ear and I curse.

"Sophie!" I yell.

"What now?" she asks coming out of the house.

I scowl and point towards the car.

"Move," she instructs me, rolling her eyes.

A few minutes later Sophie has finished installing the carseat and takes the baby from me.

"Mommy is mean isn't she," Sophie coos, putting Ash into the carseat.

"Shut up," I mutter angrily, opening the passenger door and getting in.

"Max?" she asks as she starts the car.

"What," I growl.

"Everybody knows that baby carseats face backwards," she tells me," especially for a week old baby."

"Well I'm not everybody," I huff.

"Whatever," Sophie laughs.

* * *

><p>We pull into the parking lot of Target about half an hour later and Sophie takes the baby out of the car. After grabbing a cart we go inside.<p>

"Go try these on," Sophie tells me as she throws about ten different shirts and pairs of pants at me.

"Why?" I ask.

"Because," she explains," you just had a baby and that means your cloths aren't going to fit."

"Fine," I moan, and stomp off to the nearest changing room.

I gasp as I pull on one of the pairs of jeans. They miraculously slide on and button up with ease. I haven't worn jeans since the day I left the Flock and let me just state that those jeans did not, under any circumstances, fit. And before then I had only worn pajamas for the three months after Fang left.

When I finally get out of the dressing room I find Sophie in the baby cloths area, with the cart that is now full of baby stuff. And, of course because this is Sophie, every single item down to the bottle is pink.

"Really Sophie?" I ask, eyeing a neon pink binky that has a little pink animal attached to the end.

"Yeah, really," she says not looking up from the pile of baby clothes she is sifting through.

"I'm going to go look at the shoes,"I tell her.

"Okay, I will be in the grocery area picking up baby food."

I turn away and start walking towards the shoes. As I get to shoe aisle my stomach churns and I get a bad feeling.

* * *

><p><strong>FANG POV<strong>

I hear a loud thud while I walk by a fruit display.

"Ugh!" a girl yells.

I walk a couple of feet and see a girl, holding a baby with almost unnaturally red hair, trying to shove a box onto the top shelf.

"Do you need some help?" I ask as I approach her.

"Will you hold her," she says hopefully, motioning to the baby she's holding on her shoulder.

"Sure," I try to smile, and she carefully puts the sleeping baby in my arms.

"How old is she?" I ask, watching the girl struggle to put the box on the shelf.

"A week old," she struggles to tell me, as she jumps up in another desperate attempt.

Just as I look down the baby slowly opens her eyes and looks up at me. I freeze in shock. Her eyes are the same chocolate brown as Max's eyes. She even looks like exactly like Max. I must stay frozen for a while because the girl asks if I am okay once she finally manages to put the box back where it fell from.

"Of course, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be," I nod, coming back to the present.

She stares at the baby and asks "Can I have her back?"

"Yeah," I tell her and slowly place the baby back on her shoulders, being careful that I hold her head.

"What's your name?" The girls asks.

"F- Nick. Sorry, just Nick," I say.

"Well," she laughs," My name is Sophie. It's nice to meet you Fnick."

"It's nice to meet you too," I tell her," What's the baby's name?"

"Ashler," she smiles, tilting her head to one side.

"How did you come up with that," I question her," It's cute."

"Oh," Sophie laughs," This is my, uh, sister's baby. But it's a combination of the names Ashley and Asher."

"That's really cool. And I'm sorry for the mistake," I apologize.

"It's not a big deal," she tells me.

"Okay, well I should probably let you get back to what you were doing," I say.

"Oh, yeah. Thanks for helping me," she coughs.

"No problem, it was my pleasure," I grin.

She shakes my hand and thanks me once more before I turn to leave.

"Sophie," I say, turning to face her one last time.

"Yeah?" she asks.

"She's a really beautiful and strong baby. I once knew a girl who was just like that. And she did great things.

Take good care of her and tell your sister that that she has a very special baby."

"I will," she says as I turn around again and walk away.

I leave the store, not even remembering what I came to get. All I know is that I need to get away from here as soon as possible.

* * *

><p><strong>SOPHIE POV<strong>

"Where is she!?" Max asks frantically.

"Right here," I tell her," Why?"

"I thought something was wrong," she gasps, out of breath.

"Why wouldn't we be okay?" I ask.

"Never mind," Max says and takes Ash from me.

"We're fine," I assure her.

"Take the cart and I'll take Ash, we're going to the check out and then we're leaving," she tells me.

I follow her instructions and we leave almost exactly ten minutes later and home 30 minutes after that.

But because Max is so flustered I decide not to tell her about what Nick said.

* * *

><p><strong>FANG POV<strong>

I take a deep breath and step onto the porch. Forcing myself forward, I knock on the door and wait.

"Hello," a woman says from behind me," Can I help you?"

"Are you Mary Carlyle?" I ask.

"Yes, I am," she says skepticaly.

"My name is Nick," I tell her," I'm your son."


	16. Things I'll Never Tell (ASH)

Hey guys,

It's Lillie and I just wanted to ask you what you think so far. I also was wondering what you all think should/could or want to thinker. Let your mind wander, and just think of the possibilities. Just review or PM about what you think.

One last thing, if you do review or PM think about some of the following questions:

1) Who is Ian?

2) Where is Max and is she still alive?

3) Kids? (I'm talking about Ash/Ian and Max/Fang and anybody else you can think of)

4) Lila (Ash's best friend)?

5) Angle/Ash conflict?

6) Will Max be found?

7) Can Nudge trust her husband (Brian)?

8) How was Hannah involved in the mall shooting?

9) Will Georgia live?

10) Where is Sophie?

11) What secret is Ella keeping?

12) Why did Ella stay with Max and Ash 15 years ago?

13) Does the School have something to do with Max being gone?

So those are just some things to think about. Thanks soooo much!

~Lillie :)

* * *

><p><strong>NUDGE POV <strong>

I sit on the couch with my coffee and turn on the tv.

"Hello Lori," the reporter says grimly," We've just gotten word that another victim of the Atrium Mall shooting, that occurred here in Chicago yesterday, has died. The victim, who is a sixteen year girl that attended Jones College Preparatory now brings the death toll to fifteen. The girl is rumored to be the younger sister of Nick Carlyle who is well known for owning and operating the social media site , but Mr. Carlyle's representatives have yet to issue a statement. We've also been told by a source, that Mr. Carlyle's other sister is a suspect in the shooting."

"How horrible it must be for all those families," I think," Especially for the Carlyle family. One a suspect and the other a victim."

I hear a door slam upstairs and Angel sits down next to me.

"Did you hear about the mall shooting in Chicago?" I ask.

After a couple moments of silence I look over at Angel who is sitting motionless and staring into space.

"Angel?"

She doesn't look over at me.

"What's wrong, Angel?" I ask.

She turns her head to look at me and takes a deep breath.

"Max," she whispers.

"What happened to Max?" I blurt out.

"She's not Max," Angel cries.

"What do mean? Who is she? Why is she here?" I rush.

I hear a noise and turn around to see Max standing in the doorway.

"She's right," Max says," I'm not who you think I am."

I look at her confused," I don't understand."

"I'm not Max," she says," I'm her daughter."

I gulp and stare at her blankly. Max's daughter?

"I- I don't understand," I stutter.

"My mother is Max," she tells me.

"How?" I ask.

* * *

><p><strong>ASH POV<strong>

"So let me get this straight, Fang doesn't know about you?" Nudge asks.

"No," I tell her.

"Wow," she whispers," Angel?"

She looks towards the coach, where Angel still sits motionless.

"I'm going to go call Ella, and leave you two alone," Nudge tells me, walking away.

I walk over to the coach and sit down. Angel looks at me, with her eyes beginning to water.

"Wha-?" I begin to ask, before she suddenly throws her arms around me and starts to sob.

I hug her back and smooth her hair," It's okay."

"No, it's not," she cries," it's my fault your mom left. I should have made her feel more welcome."

"We both know that isn't true, at all. My mom has always been the type of person who won't ask for help, no matter what," I assure her.

"I still feel bad though," she tells me.

"It's fine," I say, letting go of her.

She smiles at me and brushes the hair out my eyes.

"You look exactly like her," Angel smiles at me.

"I know."

* * *

><p>"What was he like?" I ask, staring at the last bits of sun reflecting on the lake.<p>

"Sweet, but silent," Angel tells me.

"I wish I knew him," I say.

"You will, Ash," she whispers.

I lean my head on her shoulder.

"What happened to Max?" Angel asks.

"I don't know," I tell her.

I look up at Angels face and she closes her eyes, just as tears begin streaming down her face.

"We'll find her," Angel sighs.

"Thank you," I say, standing up.

Angel opens her eyes and looks at me," We should probably be getting back."

"Yeah," I agree.

She watches as I walk to the edge of the cliff and face my back towards the sun. I look at her smile, close my eyes and let myself fall back into the night sky.

* * *

><p><strong>ELLA POV<strong>

"She's here, with Angel and I," Nudge confirms.

I close my eyes and try to imagine what Ash looks like. The last time I saw her was the summer after I graduated from high school.

"Who are talking to," Iggy asks, coming up from behind me.

"Nudge," I tell him.

"Why?"

"She's, uh, lonely," I lie.

"Isn't Angel there, keeping her company?" He asks.

"No, Angel had to stay late at work," I lie again.

"But its Saturday," he reminds me.

"Oh, we'll she had to work today," I tell him quickly.

"Okay," Iggy says skeptically," I'm going to bed. Promise you won't be long?

"I promise," I say, and kiss him softly on the lips.

"What was that all about?" Nudge asks," Why didn't you tell him about Ash?"

"I don't want to talk about it," I tell Nudge.

"What's going on, Ella?" She inquires.

"Nothing," I say, a little to quickly.

"What are you hiding, Ella?" Nudge demands.

Before she can ask anything else I hang up the phone and walk upstairs.

"Hey," Iggy greets me, as I get in bed.

"I love you," I tell him.

"I love you too, honey," he smiles.

"Do you promise that you'll never leave me?" I ask, quietly.

"Of course," he tells me, confused," is everything okay, Ella?"

"Yeah," I lie.

"If something was wrong you would tell me, right?" He asks.

"Yes."

"Good," Iggy sighs in relief.

I kiss him goodnight and roll onto my side so that I am facing away from him. Iggy falls asleep almost instantly, while I lie awake. For the next half hour I try to ignore the continual ringing of the phone. Why can't Nudge just stop calling?

**I'm sorry it been so long, but here it is!**

**Not to be pushy, but could you guys please review more?! I work really hard to get all of these chapters done and between DECA, swim team and dive team I that've a tough time! I practice a total of 14 hours, five days a week, twice a day and that doesn't include homework. So when you review it makes me feel like all my hard work has payed off! And please add details to your reviews, like what I can do better, what you do/don't like, errors, suggestion and anything else really. Thank you!**

**~Lillie :)**


	17. Dylan (ASH)

**ASH POV**

"Smile," Angel tells me.

"I am," I tell her, gritting my teeth.

"Don't get sassy with me," Angel warns.

I roll my eyes. Over the past few weeks Angel and I had become very close. She was like the older sister I never had, which was easy considering she is only eight years older than me.

"Are you done taking the picture?" I ask.

"Almost."

She finally figures out how to get the camera to take a picture and I'm blinded by a flash.

"Finally," I mutter, dizzily.

Angel looks down at the camera and smiles," It's perfect."

"What is?" I ask, starting to feel nauseous.

"This picture," she tells me," Andrew will love it."

"Who's Andrew?"

"Andrew is the boy I'm setting you up with," Angel says.

"Angel,"'I sigh," Why would you do that?"

"Because a pretty girl like you shouldn't be all alone. And because I want to," she smirks.

"You can't do that Angel," I say.

"Oh, and why not," she laughs in surprise.

"Because, I'm sort of involved with somebody," I cough.

"What do you mean involved with somebody? Like you kind of like somebody, type of involved?" She asks, looking up from the camera.

"It's a lot more than like," I laugh.

"Do explain," she says, narrowing her eyes.

"I'm married," I whisper, quickly.

"You're married!" She exclaims.

Nudge walks up behind me," What's going on, now?"

"Ash just told me that she's married," Angel says.

"Married, like married married, type of married?" Nudge muses.

"Yes," I tell her," Is there any other kind of married?"

"Um, no," Nudge laughs," I guess not."

* * *

><p><strong>FANG POV<strong>

"This has been going on for weeks!" I yell at Mark," You need to fix this!"

"The rumors aren't true, they'll die down in a couple more weeks," he tells me.

"Every night Hannah comes home crying because when she leaves the house everybody looks at Hannah like she is a murderer! And everybody thinks Georgia is dead! How is this even remotely okay, Mark? We can't wait weeks for this to go away!" I scream.

"Calm down Nick," Mark says.

"I can't just calm down," I whisper, putting my face in my hands.

"I really am trying, Nick. I promise I am," Mark says.

"I know you are," I cry," But everything is falling apart and I don't know what to do. And honestly I don't think I can take it anymore."

"It will be okay," Mark assures me.

"Will we ever be okay?" I ask, looking at Mark.

"Maybe," he tells me," One day."

"Where are you going?" Hannah asks.

* * *

><p>"Nowhere," I lie.<p>

"Whatever," Hannah frowns, angrily," All you ever do anymore is lie about where you were or where you're going."

"Stop, Hannah," I say," Just stop."

"No! I'm tired of you telling me to pretend that I don't see you sneaking off and going places! I'm done! Because in case you haven't noticed, my sister is in the hospital, dying! And you don't do anything! All you do is leave!" Hannah screams at me, beginning to cry.

"Hannah, it's okay," I tell her.

"No it's not!" She cries," You need to leave and not come back. I'm sorry, Nick. I understand how you have always been there for us, but it's time for you to go."

"Please don't do this, Hannah," I say, stepping towards her.

"I love you, and I'm sorry. Goodbye Nick," Hannah tells me, before pushing me out the front door and slamming it in my face.

* * *

><p>"I'll see you soon, Max," I whisper setting the envelope at the entrance of the cave.<p>

* * *

><p>"I'd like a room please," I tell the concierge.<p>

"Of course," he smiles," Your usual suite will be ready right away, Mr. Carlyle."

"No," I say," Just a regular room please."

The concierge looks at me, surprised," Are you sure?"

"Positive," I tell him.

"Very well, we'll have one fixed up in no time," the concierge says.

* * *

><p><strong>ASH POV<strong>

"So when did you get married?" Angel asks.

"About a month and a half ago in Las Vegas," I tell her.

"Vegas," Angel laughs," Does that mean alcohol was involved?"

"No," I laugh,"I'm too young to drink, remember?"

"Yeah," Nudge says.

"Well, "Ms. got married in Vegas sober" do you have a picture?" Angel asks.

"Yes," I tell her.

"Show us," Nudge giggles, drunkenly.

Angel rolls her eyes and takes another sip of her wine. No matter how much she drinks Angel never seems to get drunk.

"Fine," I say and I get up.

After jogging upstairs, to my bedroom I pull a box out from under my bed. I open it and move some papers around until I find what I came upstairs for. I admire the photo for a moment before I shove the box under my bed again and walk back downstairs.

"Here," I say handing the photo to Nudge and sitting back down onto the couch.

"Ooooh he's a looker. I think I've seen him before," Nudge slurs.

"Thanks," I laugh nervously.

"Let me see," Angel tells Nudge, who hands her the picture.

"What do you think, Angel? I was right wasn't I," Nudge says.

"Oh my god," Angel gasps sharply and sits up.

"What is it?" I ask.

Angel quickly glances at me, before looking at Nudge in shock.

"What is it?" I repeat.

"It- it, it's Dylan," Angel stutters.

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

**~Lillie :)**


	18. Don't Trust The MIB (ASH)

**JENN POV**

I sprint to the bathroom, barely making it there before throwing up in the toilet.

"Are you okay, Mommy?" Annicka asks, following me into the bathroom.

"I'm fine," I tell her," Do you know where daddy is?"

She thinks for a moment before saying," I think daddy is in the kitchen with Lewis and Henry."

"Thank you sweetie, I'll be down in a minute," I gag, before throwing up again.

Annicka leaves, to walk downstairs. I brush my teeth and put my hair into a ponytail. I decide that it doesn't matter if I'm wearing my pajamas and I walk down to the first floor.

"Hey, honey," Sam says, kissing me on the cheek as I enter the kitchen.

"Hi," I smile back, weakly.

"Are you okay?" He asks, concerned.

"Come here," I tell him and walk into the living room.

I can tell he's confused, but he still follows me. I sit him on couch and take both of his hands.

"What's going on?" Sam asks.

I smile at him and his eyes grow wide with understanding. I nod to confirm he's thinking the right thing. He jumps up and hugs me.

"We should tell the kids," he says.

"Let's wait," I tell him," I want to make sure I'm not just tricking myself."

"Okay, you're right," he grins, letting go of me and taking a step back.

"Are you happy?" I ask.

"Of course," he says and kisses me.

* * *

><p><strong>ASH POV<strong>

The next morning I am standing in the kitchen with Angel. I pick up my phone and dial Ian's cell phone number,"Hey, it's me. I just wanted to let you that know that I'm meeting my dad in the morning and I was hoping that you would be here when we get home. I love you. I'll talk to you later, bye."

"Is he going to come?" Angel asks after I end the call.

"I don't know," I whisper and walk towards the stairs.

Once I get to my room I lay face down on my bed and begin to cry.

My phone begins to vibrate. I look down and see that Ian is calling me. All I do is stare at the phone.

Fifteen seconds later my phone chimes, telling me that I have a new voicemail. I just ignore it an lay back down onto the bed. I try to stop the tears, but I can't.

I cry until I fall asleep. I look at the clock next to my bed when I wake up. It's already three o'clock in the afternoon.

I don't feel like going downstairs so I just flip on the television. The first thing is see is more news on the mall shooting, before I change the channel. I finally come across a station playing the movie Gone With The Wind.

All I do is stare at the television for the next three hours. I cant help but feel like somebody is watching over me, weather it's my mom or somebody else I don't know. Just as the movie ends I hear a knock on the door.

"Come in," I croak.

Moments later Nudge is standing in front of me. I can tell that she notices the tears on my face.

"Are you okay?" She asks.

"What if he doesn't want me," I sniffle, softly.

"He will," she assures me.

She sits down next to me a looks at the television.

"Gone With The Wind," she observes.

"Yeah, my mom named after this movie," I tell her.

"Really?" Nudge asks.

"She watched it right after giving birth to me. My Aunt Sophie used love telling me the story of how I got my name," I say, giving her a weak smile.

"I don't think you ever mentioned Sophie," Nudge tells me.

Tears begin to swell in my eyes and I take a deep breath. I don't want to think about Sophie.

"Are you okay?" Nudge asks.

"Please get out," I whisper.

"It's okay, you can tell me," she says.

"Get out," I repeat.

"It's okay Ash, I promise," Nudge reassures me.

"Get out!" I growl.

This time Nudge can tell that I am serious. She stands up and walks to the door.

"Before leaving she tells me," I know you have had a rough life so far, but it doesn't mean we don't love you. When you're ready to let us in we'll be here."

* * *

><p><strong>JENN POV<strong>

I don't go to work that day. I stay home until about two o'clock and then I drive to the nearest drug store.

I walk down the aisles until I find the pregnancy tests. There are so many that I have a hard time choosing. I finally settle on buying about ten of the most expensive pregnancy test. And of course a giant of water.

"Is this going to be your first baby?" The sales lady asks as she ringing me up.

"No," I tell her," I have three others."

"Wow, you must be busy," she laughs.

"Yeah," I smile back," But my husband is very helpful though."

"Huh," she says.

"What?" I ask.

"It's just that you look way too young to be married with kids," she explains, putting my purchases in a bag.

"I'm thirty five," I tell her, taking the grocery bag out of her hands.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she apologizes.

I don't thank her, I just turn and begin walking away.

"Good luck," she calls.

"Thanks," I mutter under my breath.

* * *

><p>I pull into the parking lot of a cafe and quickly find a spot to park my car in. Before I get out I shove half of the tests into my purse, drink the remainder of my water and look in the mirror. I look pale, so I apply some blush to my face.<p>

I get out of the car and lock it.

"It's just me," I tell the hostess, who promptly seats me at a booth by a window.

I order a salad and some tea, before I walk to the bathroom. It's a single stall bathroom, so I lock the door. I set my purse on the counter and pull out three of the tests.

The first test slides out of the box and into my hand with ease. I don't bother reading the instructions.

After peeing on three of the tests I wait five minutes and look down at the tests. They all say PREGNANT.

"I'm having a baby," I whisper, happily.

I leave the bathroom and I walk to my table. I'm glad to see my food sitting next to my tea. Within minutes all the food is gone and I am ready to pay. Because I'm so happy I leave the waitress a large tip and leave.

* * *

><p>I even turn on some music for the car ride home, which I never do. I look at my watch. I'm surprised to see that it's already almost six o'clock.<p>

When I pull into the driveway I see a large black Lincoln parked in the driveway. I hop out of the car and get my keys out of my purse. Just as I am about to unlock the door it swings open.

"Sam?" I call, not hearing anything.

I walk down the hall and into the kitchen without hearing anything. After leaving the kitchen I enter the living room, where two large men dressed in black suits are sitting.

"Who are you and how did you get in here?" I demand.

"Ma'm we're going to need you to come with us," one if them tells me.

"I'm not going anywhere with you!" I say.

Before I can do anything one of the men jumps up and grabs me. I scream. Suddenly everything goes pitch black.

* * *

><p><strong>Please review!<strong>

**~Lillie:)**


	19. You Are Six (ASH)

**JENN POV**

**7 YEARS EARLIER**

Even though my eyes are clenched shut I can feel all eyes in the room on me. My mother's, my father's, Sam's, James's, the doctor's and the nurse's.

I lay back on the bed, in exhaustion. I look over at my mother who is wrapped in my father's arms. She has a tired expression on her face.

"Go home," I cough out of breath.

"I don't think-" she begins, before I cut her off.

"Just go home. It's been twelve hours and nothing has happened, just go home. And you too James. I'll be fine, I have Sam."

They all stare at me. Right now I wish I could disappear. Not be here on this uncomfortable hospital bed, wearing an itchy hospital gown, having people watch me be in pain.

"Are you sure honey?" my mother asks.

"Yes," I tell her,"I'm sure."

Before they leave, my mother and father both kiss me on my forehead and tell me that they love me. Sam leaves to go get some food and the doctor, as well as the nurses, give up and exit. Once they're gone I notice that James is still in the room.

"I'm fine James, really, I am," I assure him, "Go home, Karrey will be worried."

He shakes his head, walks over the the chair next to my bed and sits down. I reach my hand out and he tenderly takes it. I give him a soft smile.

He leans his head down and kisses me on the cheek. When he pulls back I don't see present day James. I see the old James, the boy who told me he loved me when we were ten, the boy who kissed me in the rain when he had to walk me home after the fall formal in the seventh grade, because my date left me. I see the boy who asked me to marry him before he went away to college, because he thought I would forget him while he was gone. And for a brief minute I'm the girl who said no, because she didn't want to leave the small town she was born and raised in.

More then ever I think about how stupid it was. After he left I ended up leaving anyways. And when all was said and done and he decided to surprise me by moving to New York, I was the one who hurt him, because I met another boy who took me places I had never been and showed me things I had never thought I would get to see. I guess that's what money does.

I did love Sam, but not the way I loved James and I hated myself for that. Why had I done this to myself? I could have been so much happier with James. And worst of all I could have been truly in love with the man I had said I do with, if only I had said yes all those years ago.

"How did we get here, Jenny?" James sighs.

"You know how," I tell him, "And you know it's all my fault."

"I don't blame you. I shouldn't have rushed you in making such a major decision. But you do have to admit that you have a tendency to screw things up, like the time we drove to Maine without telling your parents and then we ran out of gas," he says.

I laugh. That had been one of the best days. Back when we were seventeen, totally in love and unaware that in less than a year he would be all the way across the country and I would be doing things I said I never would, like leaving our small town. If only I could go back to that moment.

"This could have been us, Jenny," James whispers.

I know what he means. This could have been our first baby. Our first step into the rest of our lives.

"I was going to leave him," I say, just as my eyes begin to tear up," I really was. But the day I was going to pack up my stuff was the day I found out I was pregnant and I couldn't just leave Sam like that."

He shushes me, "It's okay."

"I want to name the baby Henry, after your father," I whisper.

"Are you sure?" James asks.

"Yes, I'm sure," I say, " Your dad was like my second father."

"Okay," he smiles,softly.

"And between you and me," I say letting my voice become softer than a whisper," I know that if this had been our baby I would have still named him Henry. And if I ever have a daughter I'll name her Annicka, after your mother."

"My mom will love. Her first grandbaby named after my father and her granddaughter named after her," James beams.

"She'll make the best grandmother, even if they aren't biologically related," I tell him.

"You know she always has considered you to be her daughter, ever since you were born. Sometimes when it was just me and her, she would call us her twins, because of how inseparable we were," he says.

"That sounds like her," I laugh.

When Sam comes back he finds me holding James's hand, me barely awake and James fast asleep in the chair next to me.

"Hey baby," he whispers," I have good news."

"Hmm?" I moan.

"They're going to try to induce you," he tells me.

"Okay," I nod.

I'm fully awake by the time the nurse comes in with the IV. Everything goes much quicker after that. Within an hour and a half I'm ready to start pushing, again.

Sam calls my parents and they tell him that they will be at the hospital as soon as they can. I tell James to call his mom, because I want her here with me too.

"Sam," I manage to grind out during a massive contraction.

"What honey?" he asks.

" I want to name the baby Henry," I say.

"I thought we decided on David," he tells me.

"No, I decided that I want to name the baby after James's dad," I say.

"Why?" Sam asks, confused, looking from me to James.

"I decided that I want the baby to be named Henry, because James's dad was a second father to me," I explain.

"Are you sure?"

"I swear to god, if one more person asks me if I'm sure I am going to murder them," I growl grabbing Sam's collar and pulling his face close to mine.

"Okay," Sam whispers and I release him " We'll name the baby Henry.

Still startled Sam walks to the chair in the corner of the room and sits down.

"He was really scarred," James chuckles, " I mean did you see how big his eyes eyes got?"

"Oh, shut up," I laugh.

"Where is my favorite daughter?" I hear somebody say I'm the hall.

"I'm in here," I call.

James's mom walks into the room and lets out a overly dramatic sigh.

"I thought I would never find you," she says.

"Hey mama," I grin.

"How is my little darling this fine evening?" she asks.

"I'm tired," I tell her.

"Well that just won't do!" she exclaims.

This is why I love James's mom. She is over dramatic, funny and always knows the right thing to say. She was my mama. If it was anybody else my parents would have never been okay with me calling here that, especially since I already had a mother.

"James will you run down to the store and grab Jenn a Jolt Cola or whatever energy drink the kids use these days?" Mama says handing James a five dollar bill.

Hearing this, Sam is immediately out of his chair and standing next to me.

"I don't think that's a good idea Mrs. Reed," Sam says.

Mama laughs, "I'm only kidding dear. The energy drink is for me."

I give James a look that is somewhere along the lines of don't you dare give her an energy drink or so help me god I will kick you from here into the middle of next week. James nods in agreement, before leaving to go get something presumably uncaffeinated for Mama.

"My babies are all grown up," she sighs. "But when babies grow up they have babies of they're own," I tell her.

"I suppose that's one of the good things about it," she smiles, softly.

* * *

><p><strong>PRESENT DAY <strong>

My eyelids feel too heavy to open and my body too weak to move. My arms are chilled from laying on a cold surface. The space around me is freezing and damp. Where am I?

I hear a chuckle come from somewhere.

"Hello?" I call out.

Footsteps approach where I lay, on the cold floor. Something moves next to me and I reach out to feel what it is. A hand runs it's fingers along my outstretched arm, sending tingles through my whole body. I try to jerk my hand back but the person tightens their grip. Yet I don't feel threatened.

"It's interesting that you chose this specific memory," the voice muses.

"What do you mean?" I ask, confused.

"Out of your entire life these past few years many things have happened and yet this is the memory that you went to," the voice tells me.

"I still don't understand."

"In a way, that was the closest you have come to who you used to be," the voice says.

"Who I used to be?" I ask, "You mean when I was with James?"

"No," the voice says, "Come with me."

I'm pulled to my feet and dragged across the room. All of the sudden a door opens and I am blinded by light. I look over to see who is pulling me to an unknown destination, through a long white hallway. As we walk he eventually lets go of my hand and I follow him freely.

He looks to be around the age of sixty five, with his gray hair and big, doing glasses. He seems fatherly and caring.

We continue walking until we reach a door at the end of the hall. He opens the door and I follow him inside. He motions for me to sit at a small white table, so I do.

He sets a manila folder down in front of me and tells me to open it. Inside are a series of photos, that consist of the same five people.

"Each one of these people have been present in your life over the past eight years," he tells me.

"I don't know these people," I say, not admitting that they look slightly familiar.

"They were not directly present, but rather they appeared in the form of people such as your best friend, your husband or your daughter," he explains.

"But why me? How are these people important to my life?" I ask.

"They are important because they are a family. The family consists of six members and you play a vital role in that family," he tells me.

"But there are only five people in the picture," I say.

"That is because you are the sixth member. You are their leader, their mother and their sister. You are Max."

**sorry, long time no update. Anyways I hope you enjoyed the chapter. HAPPY ELECTION DAY!**

**Lillie :)**


	20. Max?

**ASH POV**

When I was younger, and my mother was still around, we would always go visit the ocean on my birthday. Every year, the same time of day, at a different beach. I never questioned it, because I knew it meant something special to my mother, even if I didn't know what the special thing was.

I would wake up early in the morning, get dressed and then silently creep downstairs, and wait for her to wake up. When she woke up we wouldn't speak, she would kiss me on the top of my head and we would just leave. I never knew where we would visit, and maybe she didn't either, but I never doubted her, not once.

When I turned eleven and we were sitting on a beach, in Virginia I finally decided to ask why we always visited the ocean. She sighed, which said to me that she knew I would ask one day.

"Because," she told me, "I first realized that I loved your father on a beach. He was dying. And you don't realize how much you love someone until you almost lose them. But you, you're different. I've always known I loved you and I don't need to wait for something to happen to make me realize that."

I looked from her to the ocean. I knew what she meant. Ever since I lost Aunt Sophie I had suddenly understood what the feeling of losing someone was. Whether to death or relocation or fallouts, the understanding of lose was universal, in one way or another.

So when I walked downstairs this morning it was as if I was little again. Nobody spoke, they just smiled and went about their business. I didn't speak either, I just appreciated the way my heart pounded and the way the sunlight streamed through the windows. Right now I knew that even if things didn't go well that I would have a family to return to, no matter what.

I try to let my last few hours of peace and simplicity sink in. Anything could happen, I had always known that, but wondering wasn't rejection. Even if he didn't understand, at least I would have met the man who I had only ever heard stories about. The man my mother called my father. The man who didn't know about me, and I had never known.

All that separated us was two decades, while all that connected us was my mother. I knew it would be hard for him to understand, but I had to try. He didn't even have to be involved in my life, he just had to know he had a daughter and that the girl he loved, or once loved, was gone.

The only thing that stood as a constant reminder of him actually existing was how I was asked about him throughout my childhood. I remember on the first day of kindergarten a girl asked why I only drew a picture of my mother and me in a family portrait, and I told her that it was because I didn't have a father, and when she asked where he was I burst into tears telling her I didn't know. By this time, of course, the teacher had sensed something was going on and since I wouldn't tell her why I was crying she felt the need to call my mother. But she later found out what had happened from the other girl.

When my mother arrived at the conference the teacher began to ask questions about my father. To which my mother told her was a very complicated thing. The teacher wouldn't back down, so my mother had to make up a story. She told the teacher that my father had been deployed before I was born and that while he was on his tour something had happened to him and he was presumed to be dead, since they never found a body. After my mother finished explaining, the teacher apologized and ended the conference.

On the car ride home my mother told me what had really happened, which was that my father left to protect us. Although, she left out the part of him never knowing about me, until I was older. In that moment I knew that no matter what my mother would always be there for me.

Of course there was always the chance that my mother was dead. As the years had gone on my hope had faded and the probability of her being alive had diminished greatly. And while I didn't feel her anymore, I still had to try. But, as I saw it, he owed me, or my mother rather, but he would just have to settle for helping me.

The thought that truly frightened me though, was how I looked exactly like my mother. Everything from how my eyelashes curled up perfectly, to the way I walked. I was an exact match to her. The only difference between us was when my hair had been red. But I had now replaced my natural hair color with a blonde, brown and red streaked color. I was her and there was no doubt about it.

* * *

><p>Before I set off I take a deep breath. I know it doesn't really matter when I leave for Lake Mead, because I will be there in the blink of an eye. I had waited nineteen years for this, a few seconds longer wouldn't hurt anyone.<p>

Once I arrived I began to search for the cave. Although I had been here many time, I had never been able to find the cave. But today something caught my eye. In the mountains of rock below something white stood out among the the normal green and brown.

I slowly descend until I can clearly make out what it is. A plain envelope stands at the entrance of a cave. But it isn't just any cave, it is the cave.

I land at the mouth of the cave and go to pick up the envelope. Written in barely legible hand writing on the front of the envelope, was the name Max.

I carefully tear open the envelope and take out a letter from inside. I unfold the letter and begin to read what it says;

* * *

><p><em>Dear Maxim<em>um,

_Twenty years have passed since I last saw you. I don't know if you will be here at the cliff to meet me. But I promise that if you don't show up, the day we planned to meet at the cliff, I will continue to coming to the cliff every day for a whole week._

_If you end up not meeting me, it's okay, I don't blame you. Just know that I love you, Maximum._

_I hope to see you soon_,

Fang

* * *

><p>Just as I have finished reading, I hear a noise come from behind me. I whirl around to see what it was, and there he stands. Tall, black hair, black eyes, beautiful in stature and handsome.<p>

It is him, my father. The man I have only ever dreamed about meeting. And yet he stands less than ten feet away from me. We are so close, almost too close to bear.

Before I can even breath in deeply or let my heart begin to franticly pound, he had closed the distance between us and has pulled me into a hug. All I can do is stand there, unmoving in shock. It is really him.

He draws back and stares at me. His hand pushes away the hair, from my face. He then lets his hand rest on my check, tilts his head and kisses me on the lips.

This brings me out of my frozen state of shock. I bring my hands up and push him away from me. He stumbles back. He now stands a good three feet away. All he can do is stare at me, confused.

"Are you okay, Max?" be asks, puzzled.

"No," I tell him.

"What's wrong?"

"This. This is all wrong. You weren't supposed to kiss me. This isn't how this should have happened," I say.

"Max, its been twenty years since I last saw you, I'm sorry if I went overboard, a little bit," he explains.

"No, it's not that," I say.

"Then what is it?" he asks, curios.

I take a deep breath. This is our turning point, and I know it. This is the moment.

"I... I... I'm not Max," I rush out.

His eyes grow wide, and he steps further away from me. I can tell he is trying to understand.

"W- What?," he stutters, "Max II?"

"No," I assure him.

"Then who are you?" he asks.

"I'm Max's daughter," I tell him, "And your daughter too."

**HAPPY VETERANS DAY! I hope you enjoyed the chapter. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!**

**~Lillie :)**


	21. For Your Mother

**FANG** **POV**

My mind is reeling. I don't understand. How can she be telling the truth? Where is Max? Now that I look closer, the girl does look younger than she should, after all Max would be thirty five now.

"How old are you?" I ask.

"Nineteen," she tells me.

I do the math. She's too young. If what she's saying is true, which it can't be, she would have been born a whole year after I left, which means, even if Max does have a daughter, this girl is too young to be my daughter as well.

"I'm nineteen and a half," she says, seeming to read my mind.

I again do the math, in my head. I've been gone twenty years, and twenty minus nineteen and a half equals six months. Nine months minus six months equals three months, which is how far along Max would have had to have been when I left. What was going on three months before I left Max?

It suddenly hits me like a ton of bricks. I remember. Max and I had been in Las Vegas, all alone, after Angel had kicked us out of the Flock. That's when "it" happened. And "its" result is the girl standing in front of me.

I must have an odd look on my face, because she gives me an amused expression. I can tell she knows exactly what I'm thinking about. I feel the blood rush to my cheeks and I look away from her. She is definitely Max's daughter. Yet she is different too.

She smirks and lets out a small laugh. If I still had any doubt doubts about her being Max's daughter, the doubt was now gone. She goes and sits down at the end of the cave and lets her legs fall over the edge. She stares out at the expansive scenery below us.

When I finally feel less embarrassed, I go and sit down beside her. I look over at her. She is the exact photocopy of Max. As I stare at her, it occurs to me that I dont know what her name is.

"What is your name?" I ask.

"Ash," she says, turning to look at me.

"That's pretty," I say. Leave it to Max to make sure she didn't name her daughter something extremely girly.

"She didn't talk about you much, you know. Just bits and pieces over the years, here and there. But I didn't need her talking about you to know that she really loved you," Ash tells me.

"She didn't talk much about you either," I muse.

"You're the one who left and said don't look for me. Remember?" She says, truthfully.

"I guess you're right about that."

"I know," she tells me.

Out of our extremely awkward exchange, I notice one thing is missing; Max. Where is she. Wouldn't she want to come with her daughter.

"Uh," I cough, "Where is Max? Shouldn't she be here too?"

She lowers her eyes back towards , and then to the cliffs below us. There's something she isn't telling me.

"Where is she?" I ask, again.

"I don't know," Ash tells me.

"What do you mean you don't know?" I say, " Isn't she your mother?"

"That's the thing," she whispers, " I really don't know. I haven't seen her in over eight years."

"Ash, what's going on? What aren't you telling me?" I ask.

"When I was eleven, we were out one day and we were attacked by erasers. I wanted to help, but Mom told me to run, because she knew that if they ever found out about me that I would be captured. So I ran. But I saw them take her. And you probably think that I could have done something, but I ," she explains.

Oh god. All this time I thought that when I left Max I was protecting her. Instead I had put her in harms way.

"Where was the Flock, when all this happened?" I ask her.

"You don't know? When my mom found out she was pregnant she left. The Flock never knew about me," Ash says..

"She raised you all alone? I'm so sorry," I tell her.

"It's okay."

We sit in complete silence after that. I can't think of anything to say to the daughter I just found out I have.

"We should probably go," Ash says, after a few minutes, standing up.

"Yeah," I agree.

She unfolds her wings, showing me the same ivory, brown and white wings that Max had. Every feather is just as beautiful and perfect as I remember. When she sees me staring at them she turns to face me. Ash gives me a soft smile and launches herself into the air.

A few moments later I follow her and fly up to where she is waiting for me. We fly without talking.

"Are you okay?" I ask, when I notice that she looks bored.

"Yeah," She tells me, "I'm just not used to flying this slow."

I nod in understanding. Why wouldn't she be bored? She probably has Max's super speed.

We continue flying, until she begins to slowly descend. I say nothing, I only follow her. When we approach an area that is slightly wooded, by a lake, she lands. We walk a little ways, along a road, passing many large houses. After a few minutes she stops in front of a house and goes to the door.

She pulls a key out of her pocket and unlocks the door. I follow her inside. The first thing I notice about the house is how high the ceilings are and the large chandelier. Nudge definitely lives here.

"Where are we?" I ask.

"Seattle," she tells me.

I remember being in Seattle the year before, for a business trip. Of course I hadn't gone to the suburbs, though. As I follow her through the house I can see Nudge everywhere. In the paint. In the paintings on the walls. And even in the wood floors.

She stops when we get to the living room and tells me to make myself at home. So I sot on the couch, then she awkwardly sits down next to me. We sit on the couch, for a few minutes and then she turns on the tv. She flips through the channels, until she comes across the news and then she sets the remote down.

A few minutes later she mutes the tv as if she hears a sound. Then I hear it too. A noise is coming from the other room.

"Excuse me," she says, getting up and and walking toward the other room.

I hear Ash talking to someone in the other room and I feel relieved. I wait a few minutes before I quietly stand up a walk to the doorway. I stick part of my head into the room the see what is going on.

I see a tall boy, that has his back facing me, holding Ash around her waist and kissing her. Feeling guilty, because I walked in on a private moment, I walk back into the living room and sit on the arm of the sofa.

A couple of minutes go by, before Ash pops her head into the doorway and looks at me to make sure I'm still on the couch. She smiles and then pulls the boy along with her, into the room.

I stare at her for a moment and then let my eyes drift over to the boy. I freeze in shock when I see who it is. When I see him holding her hand a switch flips of inside me.

He smiles politely and lets go of her hand. He then takes a few steps towards me and reaches his hand out to shake mine. For some reason this pushes me over the edge and the next thing I know my fist is colliding with his face. He crumples to the floor.

"What was that for?!" Ash cries, sinking to where Dylan lies unconscious on the ground.

"That," I tell her, "Was for your mother."

* * *

><p><strong>I hope you enjoyed the chapter! PLEASE REVIEW! Also, Please LIKE the page Ash Ride on Facebook, for hints and pictures of the characters.<strong>

**~Lillie :)**


	22. Family Ties

**ASH POV**

I open the freezer and grab a handful of ice, which I then shove into a zip lock bag. I walk into the living room, to where Ian sits on the couch clutching the side of his face. He gladly takes it from me and presses it against his swelling cheek.

I turn around to glare at Fang, who is sitting opposite to Ian, on a ottoman. He in turn is glaring at Ian. Just looking at him makes me angrier. I barely want to look at him, but I know I need to tell him to leave.

"You need to go somewhere else," I tell Fang," Until Nudge and Angel get home."

He nods in agreement and stands up. When he is out of the house I pull my cell phone out of my pocket and I Ian that I'll be back in a few minutes. I hit the call button, just as I enter my bedroom. My heart pounds, threatening to beat right out of my chest. It rings for a few seconds and then someone picks up.

"Hello?" Angel answers.

"You two need to get home right now," I say.

"Are you okay? Did something happen? Is Fang there?" Angel asks.

"I'm fine," I tell her," But I can't say the same for Ian, though."

"Oh no," moans Angel, "Fang met Ian didn't he?"

"Yeah," I huff," You both have some explaining to do, when it comes to why my husband just got punched in the face, by my father, who I've known for less than three whole hours."

"Okay, we'll be home soon," Angel tells me.

I hang the phone up and walk back into the other room. Ian is still holding the ice to his face. I plop down next to him on the sofa and pull his hand away from his face. I let my palm rest on his cold cheek.

Ian looks at me, with his bright blue eyes sparkling. He sets the ice down and pulls me onto his lap. I rest my head on his shoulder and kiss the inside of his neck.

"I'm so sorry," I whisper.

"It's okay," Ian assures me," I just didn't make a good impression on him."

I laugh and pull my head slightly back, so that I can look up at his face. He leans down and presses his lips to mine. We continue kissing for what seems like a lifetime. We abruptly stop when someone coughs, from the doorway. By this time, of course, Ian is already on top of me and my legs are wrapped around his hips. And he's started pulling my shirt over my head.

We look up and see Angel standing in the doorway. She looks slightly shocked. Angel puts her hand over her eyes.

"You both have five seconds to make yourselves presentable," she says," And may I just ask why you felt compelled to do that on the the couch, which Nudge's daughter watch's tv on?"

I quickly push Ian off me and pull my shirt down. I try to make it look like nothing happened, even though Angel just saw everything.

She pulls her hand away from her face and raises her eyebrows. She then walks towards us, and after she contemplates whether or not she should sit on the couch, next to us, she sits on a chair across from us. I can tell that she is still replaying what just happened, over again, in her mind.

"Where is Nudge?" I ask.

"Nudge is still at the airport, waiting for Brian and Kinsey's plane to land," Angel tells me," But you said you needed us at home, so I came."

"Oh, thanks, I didn't realize that you guys were still waiting for them," I tell her.

"No problem," Angel says," Now what exactly happened?"

I shift awkwardly on the sofa. I don't exactly know, myself, what happened and why it happened. My eyes travel to Ian, he looks confused also.

"Well," I start," I brought Ian in, to introduce him to Fang. And then Fang got really angry and he punched Ian. When I asked why he did it he said that he had done it for my mother. What does that even mean?"

"It means it's time to explain who Dylan is," Angel says," And I think this is a conversation between just me and Ash."

Ian sighs and reluctantly stands up. He walks out of the living room, and by the sound of his footstep I can tell he is going upstairs to my room.

"Are you going to tell me?" I ask," Or do I have to go ask Fang?"

"No," Angel says," I'll tell you."

"Good."

"When I told you before that Dylan was a boy who stayed with the Flock, I didn't tell you the whole story. Dylan actually was sort of made for your mother," Angel explains.

"What do you mean he was made for her?" I ask.

"A scientist named Dr. Gunther-Hagen created Dylan by cloning him from a boy who had died. The Dr. intended to have Dylan be your mother's companion and mate. He ultimately wanted him to father your mother's children and not Fang. But even though your mother _did_ have feelings for Dylan, she loved your father, Fang. I guess that's obvious though, considering that Fang is your father and not Dylan," she says.

"How does this involve Ian?"

"Ian looks exactly like Dylan. Everything about him, from his hair, to his eyes, to his height is the same. If I hadn't been around him for the last couple of days I would swear that he was Dylan," Angel tells me," And I thought it might be possible that he was Dylan's son, but when I contacted Dylan a couple of days ago, about Ian, Dylan denied having a son, which only means one thing."

"What?" I ask eagerly.

"It means that Ian has to be the original Dylan's son."

* * *

><p>I fall back onto the bed, next to Ian. He stares at me, wondering. We lay in silence for a few minutes.<p>

"Do you know anybody named Dylan?" I ask.

"Yeah," Ian says," My father's name was Dylan."

"What happened to him?" I sigh, praying that Angel was right.

"He died in a car crash almost twenty years ago, before I was born," Ian explains.

I breath out heavily in relief. I don't know what I would have done if he told me that the clone Dylan, that my mother knew, was his father.

"And what about a man named Dr. Gunther-Hagan?" I ask.

"Of course, Dr. Gunther-Hagan is my grandfather."

* * *

><p><strong>HAPPY THANKSGIVING! PLEASE REVIEW! I'M TRYING TO GO FOR 10 REVIEWS A CHAPTER. EVERY REVIEW COUNTS! ALSO YOU CAN LIKE THE PAGE ASH RIDE ON FACEBOOK, FOR HINTS ON WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN, AND PICTURES OF<strong> **THE DIFFERENT CHARACTERS.**

**THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! MAKE SURE TO REVIEW!**

**~Lillie :)**


	23. Crashing Down

**BEFORE YOU START READING READ THIS: I HAVE A NEW POLL ABOUT LUCA (ASH'S CAT). I REALIZED THAT I COMPLETLY FORGOT THE CAT, SO NOW I HAVE A POLL ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THE CAT SHOULD BE PUT BACK INTO THE STORY. PLEASE VOTE! YOU HAVE 7 DAYS FROM TODAY (11/24/12) UNTIL I CLOSE THE POLL ON DECEMBER FIRST, PACIFIC TIME (I'M AN WEST COASTER). SO AGAIN, PLEASE VOTE! AND REVEIW TOO!**

**NO POV**

Hans kissed his wife's cheek, as he pulled the covers over his body. He was careful to not wake her up. She looked so fragile with her long blonde hair fanned out on her pillow and with her lips bright red, from the last remnants of her lipstick, that clung to her, refusing to come off. When Elzabeth slept she looked just as she had twenty years ago, before they had moved to the United States.

He would wait until the morning to tell her about what he had found in their son's room. His hand went to the bedside table, in search of the letter. Relief went through him, when he felt the cold paper press against his fingers. Elzabeth would be heart-broken, after all they had moved to the U.S. in the hopes that their children might have a better life.

It was hard for Hans to believe that this would have happened if they had stayed in Germany. What their son had done would not have been acceptable where his parents were from. Dylan would have been sent away to some Swiss boarding school if he were in Germany.

Only the United States would find it to be normal for there to be teenage parents everywhere. In Germany the was nothing more disgraceful. Whole families could be shamed, just because of an irresponsible child's actions.

At least Hans and Elzabeth could always count on Mérián, their younger child. Mérián Gunther-Hagan had been perfect since she was born. Everything about her was flawless.

Mérián was the definition of a proper German girl, which made Hans, sometimes, wish that she had been born in his homeland. Even when they went to Germany to visit their, everyone said it was remarkable that she was so fluent in the way she spoke the language and acted to others. Mérián was never called an American. She also embodied the image of what a German was thought to look like, with her long, flowing blonde hair, dark red lips and bright blue eyes.

Dylan, on the other hand, was always out of place. He didn't care about German ways, the language of his parents or his ancestors country. Dylan was an American. At one point, when the family went to Germany, he was thought to be an exchange student, which the Gunther-Hagan's were hosting. What annoyed Hans most about it was how Dylan never seemed to care. The only thing he was interested in was his girlfriend, Lia.

All that that had led Dylan to was him getting Lia pregnant. And Hans knew better than anybody that he wasn't ready to marry Lia, let alone become a father. Hans had never been so disappointed in his entire life, and Hans bad already been let down by Dylan way before this incident had occurred. Worst of all, Dylan hadn't even told them. Hans had been searching in Dylan's room, for one of his ties that Dylan had borrowed, when he came across the letter Lia had written to Dylan, telling him she was pregnant.

As Hans lay in bed contemplating, the phone began to ring. He immediately grabbed it so it wouldn't wake Elzabeth. It was very late, which made Hans wonder who could be calling.

"Hello?" he growled.

"Hello, is this the Gunther-Hagan household?" a man asked.

"Yes," Hans said," Vhy?"

"I'm very sorry to be calling you so late, but I'm calling to inform you that, unfortunately, your son Dylan Gunther-Hagan has been in a car accident. He is here at the hospital," the man explained.

"Vhat are you talking about?" Hans asked," My son, Dylan, is asleep in his bed."

"Are you sure? The boy that was brought in had identification cards saying he was Dylan Gunther-Hagan."

Hans pushed the sheets off him, softly, and walked down the hall. When he got to his son's room he knocked. He pushed the door open when there was no answer. The room was pitch black and dead silent. Dylan's soft snores were missing. He instantly knew that the man was right and Dylan was not in his room.

"I vill be there soon," Hans said, before hanging up the phone.

Hans rushed back to his bedroom and shook Elzabeth. Her eyes fluttered open, in confusion.

"Vhat are you doing Hans? Vhat is going on?" she asked.

"Dylan has been in an accident, I must go to the hospital," he told her.

"I don't understand vhat you are talking about. Dylan is in bed," Elzabeth assured Hans.

"No he is not. The hospital just called to tell us that Dylan vas in a car accident," Hans explained.

"I vill go vith you," Elzabeth said, beginning to get out of the bed.

"No," Hans told her," You must stay vith Mérián."

Elzabeth decided that Hans was right, Mérián couldn't be left alone to wonder. She helped Hans dress and once he was gone she went to wake their daughter.

* * *

><p>When Hans arrived at the hospital there was mass chaos everywhere. Blood was on floors and walls, doctors and nurses were running around frantically and family members, of patients, were crying. He had to find somebody to help.<p>

"Excuse me," Hans said, walking up to a doctor," I am looking for my son, Dylan Gunther-Hagan. He vas in a car accident."

"Sir, all of these patients were in the car accident. You're going to have to find him yourself," the doctor told him, motioning to the chaos.

Hans nodded and backed away, to go find Dylan. He searched the room, but could not find him. Finally giving up, he decided to go to a different floor and find about him.

"Hello, I need to find a patient," Hans told a woman, who sat behind a computer.

"Name?" the woman asked.

"His name is Dylan Gunther-Hagan," Hans told her.

"What is your relation to the patient?" she inquired.

"I am Dylan's father," He said.

"Dylan is in room 621, on level 6, in the Intensive Care Unit," the woman said.

Hans thanked her and took the elevator up to the sixth floor of the hospital. When he got there he was greeted by loud alarms and flashing lights.

"He's crashing!" yelled one of the nurses.

"What are we supposed to do? Where is the doctor?" cried another.

Hans pushed through the massive crowd of nurses, to Dylan's room. As he entered the room he saw Dylan laying unconscious on the bed. By the paleness of his son's skin, Hans could tell that Dylan had lost too much blood. And Hans knew that no matter how many blood transfusions they gave him, Dylan would not live.

"Get out!" shouted Hans.

They all turned to stare at him. One of the nurses walked up to him and began to usher him out of the room. Hans wouldn't move.

"Sir, you need to leave," the nurse said, still trying to push him out of the room and into the hall.

"No!" Hans told her," I vill not leave. He is my son. You as vell as I, know that he vill not survive."

They continued to stare at him. The other nurses resumed their work and ignored him, while the nurse tried to make him leave.

"Just let him stay. We all know the boy isn't going to make it. His father should be able to say goodbye," one of the nurses piped up.

They stopped their work and nodded in agreement. All the nurses, except for the one that had just spoken, filed out of the room. The remaining nurse walked over to Dylan and his heart rate monitor. She then told Hans she was very sorry and she left.

Hans pulled up a chair and took Dylan's hand in his own. He could feel that his son only had minutes to live.

"Vhy couldn't you have been a good child, like Mérián?" Hans sobbed," Your mother and I alvays tried to make sure you vere happy and taken care of. Vhy could you not appreciate that?"

While he spoke, he could feel Dylan's heart dropping and eventually stop. As the last bits of warmth left Dylan's body, Hans promised to make sure Lia and his child had a good life. He also promised to forgive Dylan for all the things he had wrongly blamed on him.

* * *

><p>When Hans got home, he found Mérián and Elzabeth crying on the couch. He knew that the hospital must have called and told them that Dylan had died.<p>

* * *

><p>A week later the Gunther-Hagans landed in Germany. When their family came to pick them up from the airport, nobody spoke. They all knew that the only reason the Gunther-Hagans were there was to bury their son. The family even let Dylan have an American funeral, instead of the customary German one.<p>

They decided to lay Dylan to rest next to his grandparents, even if he shunned all things from his parents homeland. Whether he liked it or not, Dylan was German, and as such his family would make sure that he always knew it.

At the funeral, everyone said nice things about Dylan, even if he hadn't been their favorite person. Some people talked about good memories they had of him and others spoke of how ye was stubborn, like a real German. There were moments where the whole family would laugh at a story about something Dylan had done, and there were moment where everybody would cry, because they knew they would never see him again.

* * *

><p>The day Hans got home, he mailed Lia a letter. He told her that she needed to leave, and have the unborn baby elsewhere. For the child's safety, he told her. Hans wrote a generous check of a million dollars, as well, promising that she would get a check of the same value every year, to ensure their safety and happiness.<p>

Hans specified that the baby could not be born in a hospital, and that he could not have his father's last name, Gunther-Hagan. Instead, the child would take her last name, Mares. He also told her that he would visit them often. At the end of the letter, he warned her to not mention any of what he was doing to either Elzabeth or Mérián, because neither knew.

As Hans dropped the letter in the post office box, he prayed that Elzabeth would never find out about what he had done. He also hoped that his colleagues would not investigate Lia's disappearance. But most of all, he worried that his experimentations that he had done with altering Dylan's blood by combining it with animal DNA, would not effect the child's development.

* * *

><p>Less than a month after his son's death, Hans began working on cloning Dylan. He knew that the child he had lost would never be alive again, but he could make someone similar to him. Someone who was loyal, loving and obedient. Someone he could be proud of. Someone who would join him in his scientific work.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! I decided to add another (original) plot twist. Please review! We're trying to go for AT LEAST 10 reviews a chapter! BTW THE MORE REVIEWS I GET MAKES ME WANT TO UPDATE FASTER( HINT HINT). And I can also see how many people review versus how many people read the chapter (so far its 4 reviews to 75 views and 68 people reading it) THANK YOU HEATHER!<strong>

**So please review! Because I honestly am at the point where I really feel like I could just crawl in bed, write some random final chapter of this fanfic, and be done with Ash. Or just not write for like a year, which I've done before with this story.**

**P.S. I'm not even going to start writing the next chapter until I get the 10 reviews (only 6 to go)**

**~Lillie :)**


	24. Remembering

**Okay, so here's the new chapter. BEFORE YOU START READING, READ THIS: I have a new poll, it's on my profile page. The** **poll question is: Who should be the father of Max's baby? You can answer Sam,** **Fang, James or Dylan (evil scientists could easily figure out how to get Max pregnant without her and the father actually doing "it"). So please answer the poll!**

* * *

><p><strong>JENN  MAX POV**

I sit in the same room that I sat in the first day I arrived. It's been a week since I was brought here.

"Do you remember me Max?" the man asks.

"No," I say, " I've already told you that I don't know who you are. And stop calling me Max. My name is Jennifer."

"Fine, _Jennifer_. Who are you?" he sighs.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"I mean, who are you? Tell me about your life," he says.

"Um. Okay? My name is Jennifer Afton. My husband is Sam Afton. We've been married for eight years. We have three children, and I'm pregnant with our fourth. My parents are Martin and Sarah Simons. I grew up in Virginia. I live in New York. I'm the president of Global Marketing Tomorrow. I have a younger sister named Elle, she's married to Mark. My best friend's name is James. What more do you want to know," I begin to sob.

I can tell it's because of the hormones. I don't usually cry like this. With every pregnancy this has happened.

I let my head fall onto the cold table. The icy feeling burns my forehead. Sobs rack my body. I feel a hand on my shoulder and my head jerks up. He stands behind me, in attempt to console me.

"Do you remember who I am, Jennifer?" he asks.

"No," I cry.

"I'm you father," he says, wrapping his arms around me

"I already have a father," I choke. Suddenly I gasp as a vivid memory appears in my mind. The colors rush back and I plunge into the past.

* * *

><p><em><strong>FLASHBACK<strong>_

* * *

><p>"NO FANG!" I scream, at the top of my lungs, jumping up from where I sit on the couch," I AM NOT GOING TO MOVE MY FAMILY TO ENGLAND!"<p>

"Please Max, we have to. There's so much we can do there," Fang begs me.

"NO!" I shout," NO! I DON'T CARE IF QUEEN ELIZABETH, HERSELF, ASKED US TO MOVE THERE. I'M NOT LEAVING MY HOME JUST BECAUSE ONE OF YOUR LITTLE STALKERS SAYS THAT THEY THINK THAT THERE IS A SCHOOL IN LONDON!"

"Max, we have to!" Fang tells me, beginning to raise his voice.

"No," I state," Absolutely not."

Ever since we had returned home, from Fang's little "runaway, don't look for me, almost die" incident, things had been tense. I still didn't fully trust him. I woke up every morning expecting him to be gone.

Even when we had our moments, I couldn't forget that he had left me. Sometimes, for no reason at all, something would go off inside me and I would pick a fight with him. But now... Now was different. I wasn't fighting with him simply because I could, I was fighting with him because I knew that if we went to England we would never see each other. Fang would be too caught up in taking down the School, and I, well I would be to busy blaming him for not being there for me.

"What is going on down here?" Jeb asks, attempting to catch his breath. I can tell that he must have run down here, when he heard me yelling.

"Nothing," I lie," Fang and I are just having a little discussion."

"Oh, is that what they call it these days?" Fang chuckles.

I shoot him a glare. He still has a smug look on his face. Before either of them can make me any angrier, I storm out of the living room and to the front door.

"Wait Ma-" Fang calls. I slam the front door before he can finish.

I run out onto the front yard and launch myself into the air. I know where I'm going; the one place where I can be alone.

* * *

><p>I sit at the base of a tree, brooding in silence. I know moving to England would make Fang so happy, but what about me? What about the Flock. We can't live without stability, like we have for so long.<p>

I let my mind wander to Fang, and what he must be doing now. By the position of the sun, in the sky, I can tell that I have been gone for at least three hours. Fang is most likely looking for me.

The Flock is probably wondering where I am, Jeb is definitely confused about what happed (since I know that Fang isn't going to let him in on the decisions we make about our family), and here I am, sitting like an idiot. In a tree of all places.

"Ugh," I groan.

I know that I should go back and apologize to Fang, but I'm not sure how I would say it. I've never been one for apologies, even when I've know i was wrong. You apologize to, not the other way around.

A branch above me snaps, and I am instantly at me feet, ready to attack. I look upwards, in search of where the noise came from. Fang stands above me, looking down. He jumps down, onto my branch, landing directly in front of me.

"Fang, I'm so sorr-" I manage to gasp, just before his lips crash onto mine.

I pull him by the neck, so that he's closer to me. His hands hold my waist, and mine travel up to his hair. He continue kissing, until I'm suddenly pushed back onto the hard tree.

We break apart and he stares at me. His hands begin to play with a piece of my hair, while I just stand panting, out of breath. Fang starts to lower his head towards mine, just before I stop him.

"I'm sorry," I murmur.

"I know," he whispers, in defeat, knowing that he has lost the fight.

"Will you be okay?" I ask," I know you really wanted it, to move to England I mean."

"Yes," he assures me," I know that it would have never worked out."

Sensing that we have both forgiven each other, I lift my head up, letting my lips meet his. Fang positions himself so that I gently rest against the tree, and one arm is on either side of my body. Suddenly he grabs my hips and lifts me up, so that I'm straddling him.

I reach my hands down, to pull his jacket and his shirt over his head. He lets me, and then he proceeds to slid his hands up and, almost not quit, tears my shirt off me. I pull back slightly, and smile at him. He grins, and I reach my hands behind my back, and unclasp my bra.

* * *

><p>Bright morning sunlight blinds me when wake up. At first I'm startled once I realize that I'm outside, but I then remember the events of last night. Something moves beneath me, and I look down to see Fang sleeping soundly.<p>

"Fang," I whisper," Wake up, its morning."

"Mmmm," he groans, sleepily.

"Get up," I tell him.

"Sleepy," he moans.

"I don't care. Now get up," I say," We were gone all night. The Flock is probably worried."

I push myself off him, and stand up. After a few minutes of searching, I finally manage to collect all of my clothes, along with Fang's (although my underwear somehow ended up a good fifty feet away). I throw Fang his clothes and begin to put on mine. As I get dressed, I notice that my shirt has a giant hole in the front. I turn to Fang, wide eyed and shocked.

"Really?" I ask," How on earth did you rip my shirt?"

"Oh," he laughs, walking up to me, still completely undressed," Would you look at that."

"I can't just go shirtless, Fang," I frown.

"I don't mind," he smirks.

"I'm serious," I tell him.

"You can wear my jacket," he sighs, holding ot out.

I snatch the jacket out of his hands and quickly throw it on. Once Fang is dressed, I give him a quick kiss and we take off.

* * *

><p>We land about half ab hour later, on the porch of the house. I take a deep breath, before walking to the door.<p>

"Time to face the wrath of Iggy," I whisper.

Fang laughs and I pull the door open. The first thing I see when we enter, is Jeb sitting on the stairs waiting for us.

"Where the hell have you two been?" he asks, angrily, standing up and walking over to where we stand.

"Out," I say, pushing past him.

"That was very irresponsible, Max," he tells me," Following me and Fang down the hall, as we walk to the living room.

"I don't want to hear it," I bark, and Jeb instantly shuts up.

All eyes are on me, when we enter. The room holds a variety of different reactions. Relief (Angel), questioning (Nudge), confusion (Gazzy), amusement (Iggy, of course) and hurt (Dylan).

"Hey," I tell them.

They all immediately begin to bombard me with questions. I slowly step back, until I hit Fang, and he holds me.

"SHUT UP," Fang yells, unable to stand the noise anymore.

They all obey, and give me expectant looks. I cough, nervously, not knowing what to say.

"I'm sorry we were gone," Fang begins," But it took me a long time to find Max, and by the time I found her, we were both very tired, so we spent the night in a hotel."

"I'm sure you did," Iggy scoffs.

My face begins to turn red and my eyes fall to the ground. I desperately hope that Angel, Nudge and Gazzy don't understand what he's talking about.

Eventually we convince the younger members of the Flock that the story that Fang told was true. Dylan remains silent the entire time, the only time he even moves is when we adjourn the meeting.

"Have fun playing hide and seek, with Fang, Max?" Iggy asks once him, Fang and I are the only ones left in the room.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I lie, a little too quickly.

"Tell the truth, Max," Iggy smirks, reaching out and touching my arm.

His eyebrows raise in amusement. I can tell that he knows that I'm wearing one of Fang's jacket. I swallow hard, hoping he won't say anything.

"What's up with the jacket, Max?" Iggy asks,"Are you trying to hide something? Why don't you take it off?"

"I got cold," I cough.

"Oh," Iggy says, in false sympathetic voice," Maxie get cold, cause she was out late playing "hide and seek" with Fangy?"

"That's enough, Iggy," Fang warns.

"Fine," Iggy says," But don't think that I don't know what's going on between you two."

Iggy exits the room, leaving me and Fang alone together. I look up at his face. I can tell that he's embarrassed too.

"So, Iggy knows," I whisper, awkwardly.

"Iggy knows," Fang agrees.

* * *

><p><em><strong>END OF FLASHBACK<strong>_

* * *

><p>"What was that?" I ask, unable to comprehend what just happened.<p>

"I believe you just remembered a little bit of your life," Jeb smiles, letting go of me, and walking over to the other side of the table and sitting down.

"Bu- but how is that possible?" I stutter.

"When I touched you, you remembered a small memory," he explains," I'm guessing that since I'm the one who triggered the memory, I was in it. Wasn't I?"

"Yes," I tell him," Who is Fang? Did I love him?"

"He was your mate. Although I myself did not approve of it. Your mate was intended to be a boy named Dylan. You however did not choose to mate with him, you chose Fang," he says.

"Oh," I whisper," Where is he now?"

"Who do mean? Fang or Dylan?" he asks, to clarify.

"Fang," I tell him," I want to know where Fang is."

"Oh," he says slightly disappointed," Fang lives in Chicago, with his family."

Before I can ask anything else, there is a knock at the door.

"Ah, finally," Jeb sighs, happily, standing up and walking to the door.

He opens the door, and after a brief exchange, a person walks in.

"Sam?" I gasp in shock," What are you doing here?"

* * *

><p><strong>What do you think? Was it good, bad or terrible? Please review! And answer the poll! This is your chance to decide who the father of Max's baby is! Also, since Fang: A Maximum Ride Novel never said how much time was in between when Fang almost died and when Total and Akila got married, I decided that there was about 4 months in between those 2 events (this flashback took place in between those 4 months). Anyways, I love you all, and please review!<strong>

**P.S. REVIEWS MAKE ME WRITE FASTER! (HINT HINT COUGH COUGH)**

**~Lillie :)**


	25. Dance (I) REVISED NOTE AT END OF CHAPTER

**ASH** **POV**

"Good morning," I whisper, happily.

Ian takes in a deep breath, but remains asleep. I bring my hand up, to rest on his chest. Something about the way he looks when he sleeps makes me feel peaceful.

"Was this what it was like for my mother and father?" I wonder, to myself.

I'm suddenly startled by a knock at the door. I sigh heavily.

"Just a minute," I call softly, trying not to wake Ian.

I roll out of bed and walk across the room. With one quick glance back at the bed, I quietly pull the door open. Fang stands in front of me.

"Hey," he says," Is Ian asleep?"

"Yeah," I whisper," Why, what do you want?"

"I just wanted to invite you and Ian to a work function tonight," he says.

"What type of work function?" I ask.

"It's a ball for all of the company's owners, investors, officiates, and sponsors and their families," he explains.

"So in other words, there's a ball for your company's rich people?"

"I guess," Fang nods.

"I don't know, I'm not really a people person."

"Please, I had to arrange for the party to be moved all the way to here, Seattle," he tells me.

"Okay," I say, feeling guilty," I'll be there."

He gives me a soft smile and he begins to walk away. Just before he reaches the end of the hall he, turns to look at me.

"Ash?"

"Yeah?" I ask.

"Please choose something that doesn't reflect on what type of pajamas you wear. I don't want my colleagues to get flashed."

I look down at what I'm wearing. All that I have on is a t-shirt and a pair of pajama shorts. I look up at him confused. But I can tell what he means when I see the look on his face. He looks concerned, the way a father would.

* * *

><p>"Can I please go to the ball, mom, please," Kinsey begs Nudge, as we sit in a hair salon.<p>

"I don't know Kinsey," Nudge tells her," I think it's pretty much an adult event, so my answer is no."

"Fine," Kinsey pouts.

"Anyways, moving on," Nudge says, turning to me,," What are we going to do with your hair?"

"I want to cut about three inches of and then I want to have them dye it back to my natural color," I tell Nudge.

"Okay," She nods.

I takes them over an hour to go through the whole process, but once they finish I see that it was all worth it.

"I wish I could have red hair," Kinsey moans.

"Shush," Nudge says," You look beautiful Ash."

I thank her and look back at my reflection in the mirror. My hair now comes just above my waist and glows an almost unnatural bright red.

The hairdresser asks if I want anything done to my hair and I tell her that it want it up. She smiles and continues on. Once she finishes I thank her and I look at myself in the mirror again.

"I missed the red," I sigh, happily, when we are finally leaving the salon.

'Well I think your father will think it's beautiful," Nudge laughs," He had quit the thing for redheads."

"Great," I say, sarcastically," That's not creepy at all."

"Your mother hated red hair," Nudge tells me.

I grimace. I hate being reminded that I don't have a mother. Whenever anybody ever talked about their moms I always felt instantly out of place.

"I'm so sorry Ash," Nudge blurts," I didn't mean to make you feel sad."

"It's okay," I lie.

"Are you sure?" she asks.

"Yeah," I tell her," Let's go get our dresses."

* * *

><p>"Turn around," Nudge gasps.<p>

I spin around obediently. I don't understand why she gasped, until I see myself in the mirror.

I stand in a vivid red dress, with a plunging V-neck that reaches just where my ribs end. The dress flows perfectly. The only thing that worries me is that the dress is too long, but that can be easily fixed by wearing high heels.

"It's perfect," Nudge tells me.

I smile in agreement. I don't think that I could look any better

"Excuse me for a minute," Nudge says, before quickly getting up and leaving the dressing room.

A few minutes later she comes back with a pair of bright red high heels. I can tell that they're at least six inches high.

"They're too high," I tell her.

"Too high?"

"I don't want to be taller than Ian," I explain.

"Oh," she says, turning to leave," We'll just get the four inch ones."

"Nudge?"

"Yeah?" she asks, looking back at me.

"Thank you," I say," This really means a lot to me."

"No problem," she smiles.

* * *

><p>I'm startled awake by a phone ringing. My head whips around as I try to remember where I am. I see Nudge fumbling with her cell phone.<p>

"It's Fang, can you you answer it?" Nudge asks, handing me her phone.

I take it from her and hit the answer button.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Ash, it turns out that I have to go to the party early, so I won't be here when you guys home. I'll send a car to pick you up," Fang tells me," Will you tell Nudge?"

"Sure," I yawn.

"Are you okay?" he asks.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just woke up," I tell him.

"Oh, sorry," Fang says," I'll let you go, so you can get back to your nap."

"It's okay, thanks though," I laugh," I'll see you in you in about an hour."

"Alright, bye Ash."

I hand the phone back to Nudge. Hers eyes stayed glued to the road as she takes it from me.

"What did he say?" Nudge asks.

"He had to leave for the party, but he'll see us soon."

"Alright," she says.

* * *

><p>"Ian, we're leaving," I yell, up the stairs.<p>

"Okay," he calls," I'll be down in a minute."

I huff. It's interesting how women are always portrayed as taking the longest to get ready.

"Is the car here?" Angel gasps, running down the stairs, as she tries to fasten a bracelet to her wrist.

"Yeah, it's been here for a while," I inform her.

"Shit," she mutters," We need to go."

"I know," I agree," But everybody is taking a long time."

"Get down here now!" Angel yells.

I hear something drop upstairs and then there is a small cry. Nudge then rushes down the stairs.

"Really Angel?" Nudge asks, pushing an eating into her ear," You made me drop my makeup all over the floor."

"Too bad," Angel tells her," We're leaving."

It takes us another fifteen minutes to get out the door, because Kinsey begins to complain that she can't find the movie she wants to watch while we're gone, and Ian can't figure out how to tie his tie. In the end, Nudge tells Kinsey that she can watch whatever she wants to watch (even if it's rated R), out of desperation and I tell Ian that he can't wear a plain tie, he has to wear a bow.

* * *

><p>It turns out that Fang sent a limo to pick us up, which Nudge is thrilled about. I on the other hand am not. It's so odd to have grown up on my own and then suddenly enter into the world of the rich.<p>

We arrive at the front of the building and the chauffeur opens the car doors for us. Camera lights blind us as we exit the limo. Before I can bring my hand up to cover my eyes, the flashing suddenly stops.

"What just happened?" I ask Nudge, softly.

"I don't think we're who they hoped that we were," she whispers back," Celebrities get invited to these type of events."

"Oh," I murmur.

We walk through the building doors and enter into a giant lobby, which is holding the party. I gasp in disbelief.

"This is amazing," Ian says, taking my hand.

I nod in agreement. I've never seen anything like this in my entire life. Everything is so formal and foreign.

In the center of the lobby people or dancing, while on the outskirts of the room, there are dining tables. At one end of the room there is also a stage set up for speeches.

"Why don't you two go and get some drinks," Angel says to me and Ian," I'll go get us a table and Nudge can wait here for Fang."

"Okay," I answer her, and Ian and I begin walking toward the bar area.

"I'll have four glasses of wine," Ian tells the bartender.

"Ian, I'm too young to drink," I whisper.

"It's okay," he insists," They don't check I.D.."

"If I get caught I'm blaming you," I inform him.

"Relax. Its not my fault that you're two years younger than me," Ian laugh, kissing me on the cheek," I'll be back in a few minutes, I have to go to the bathroom."

* * *

><p><strong>FANG POV<strong>

I weave in and out of the crowd, trying to search for Ash. I look down at my watch. They should have been here by now. I scan the room again. I spot Nudge near the entrance of the room and I begin to walk towards her.

As I get closer I gawk slightly. She looks amazing. She's wearing a deep purple, strapless mermaid gown. Her hair is curled in perfect tendrils, that reach just below her shoulders. For the first time, I realize that she really is a woman. She is no longer the little twelve year old girl that I last saw twenty years ago.

"Hey," I mutter.

"Oh my gosh, Fang," She gasps," You should have told us where to meet you."

"Sorry," I whisper," Where is Ash?"

"She went to go get drinks," Nudge tells me.

"Oh, okay."

I suddenly spot a splash of bright red hair across the room by the bar. Whoever it is, is wearing a seductive red dress. Something about her calls out to me. I sense Nudge following my gaze. I take a step forward.

"No Fang, stop-," Nudge says, but before she can finish, I am pushing through the crowd, trying to reach the mysterious red head. I hear Nudge calling my name, but I don't listen, i just continue making my way through the massive crowd. Some people turn and give me dirty looks, but instantly stop when they realize who pushed them. I pay them no mind. My head is focused on one thing, the alluring red head.

I stop when I am five feet away from her. I search my mind, trying to figure out what to say to her.

"Where did you come from?" I whisper, seductively into her ear.

Her head turns to look at me. Her eyes widen in shock. I don't understand why, until I realize that I am looking into a pair of familiar chocolate brown eyes. Her breath hitchs slightly.

"Ash," I murmur, in embarrassment.

"Yeah," she gulps.

"Your hair," I squeak," It's red."

'Yes," she nods.

"Why?" I ask, feeling the blood rush to my cheeks.

"This is my natural color," she says, reaching up to touch her hair, as if I just insulted it.

We both stare at each other in shock for a few moments, until I hear someone say my name. I turn to see Mark standing behind me.

"Hey, Mark," I say, trying to recover.

"Who's this," Mark asks, suggestively (as if she's my girlfriend or "mistress"), motioning to Ash.

"Th- this is my uh daughter," I stutter.

"Oh," Mark coughs, in surprise. I can tell he feels bad for insinuating that we have a "romantic" relationship (Mark's definition of being romantically involved with a woman is meeting her, getting her number, taking her to dinner, having sex and then not calling her again (unless she happened to be really good in bed) and then moving on to another woman).

"I'm Ashley," Ash says, from behind me.

"It's nice to meet you Ashley," Mark tells her, reaching out to shake her hand," Where's Hannah?"

"Who's Hannah?" Ash asks, confused.

She looks at me expectantly, waiting for an answer. I don't want to tell her, because I fear she might resent me because I raised Hannah while as grew up without parents. Although I guess it wouldn't be my fault, because Max never told me that she was pregnant, then again, I did tell Max not to look for me.

"I finally found you," Angel gasps, coming up next to me, which gets me out of explaining who Hannah is.

We all turn to stare at her, because she's interrupted our awkward moment. Angel wavers slightly, sensing the awkwardness. By the way she is looking at me, I can tell that she is trying to search my thoughts. If she gets so much as an inkling of what just happened between me and Ash she doesn't show it. Instead of revealing what she knows, she smiles sweetly, yet politely, at Mark.

"And who are you?" Mark asks.

"I'm Nick's sister, Angeline," She tells him.

"Well, Nick's sister, Angeline, would you like to dance?" Mark asks her, in attempt to flee the awkwardness.

"Sure," Angel smiles, taking his hand.

Mark gives me a look that tells me that we need to talk, as he walks away with Angel. I know he wants to know about why I never told him that I have a daughter, even though he's known me for the past fifteen years.

Ian happens to return just as Mark and Angel leave, and he takes Ash to dance.

* * *

><p><strong>ASH POV<strong>

Ian slowly spins me around, and leans me back. I stare into his bright, sea blue eyes. His lips almost reach mine, but before they can we hear a cough. We look up to see Fang standing less than a foot away.

"Can I steal Ash from you?" Fang asks Ian.

"Of course," Ian says, pulling me back up, so that we're both standing.

Ian kisses me on the cheek and then lets go of me. Fang gently takes my hand and we begin to dance slowly. We waltz around for a few minutes until Fang decides to talk.

"I'm sorry about earlier," he apologizes.

"It's fine," I tell him," Let's just not talk about it. Like ever."

"Okay," he laughs, awkwardly.

We dance in silence for a few songs. He looks as if he is about to say something, but then something else catches his attention behind us. I turn to see what he's looking at. At the entrance of the ballroom stands a girl.

"Hannah," he whispers, letting go of me, not looking away from her for one split second.

He begins to walk away. All I can do is stare. Once he reaches her, he pulls her into a hug and kisses her on the head. When he releases her I begin to notice striking similarities between the two of them.

She has the same dark hair, the same olive skin tone, and the same black eyes, which meet mine. I gaze at her for a moment, before I rush out of the ballroom, pushing and shoving anyone who stands in my way. I make my way outside, onto a balcony, where I begin to sob uncontrollably.

I'm not sure what hurts more, the fact that he moved on from my mother, or the fact that he never told me that he already had a daughter and he never told me about her. And worst of all l, she looked to be just around my age, which means that after leaving my mother he got another girl pregnant right away, unless, he had been cheating on my mother all along.

The last person in the world I thought that I could trust, the last person who might have been able to help me, the last person who I had to call family betrayed me, in the worst way possible.

* * *

><p>I hope you likes the chapter! I worked really hard on it, its the longest one I've written so far. So please <strong>review!<strong> DON'T FORGET TO **VOTE FOR WHO SHOULD BE THE FATHER OF MAX'S BABY!** WE ONLY HAVE 2 VOTES SO FAR! AND **REVIEW!**

**ALSO, THERE ARE THE LINKS FOR ASH's, NUDGE's AND ANGEL's DRESSES (FROM THIS CHAPTER) ON MY PROFILE PAGE!**

**AGAIN, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!**

**LINKS TO THE DRESSES OF ASH, NUDGE AND ANGEL ARE ON MY PROFILE PAGE**

~Lillie :)

* * *

><p>Hey, it's Lillie again,<p>

I just wanted to ask you guys to please review, cause reviews equal inspiration and inspiration equals me actually finishing the story, so yeah. About 1% of you guys actually review (not even joking right now) and it makes me really sad. So if you want me to update and write more please review (the end is near, I promise!). There are less than 10 chapters to go in this fanfic. **I PROMISE THAT IF I GET 40 REVIEWS (I SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE READ THIS FANFIC, SO IT SHOULDN'T BE THAT HARD! BUT YOU, YES YOU, HAVE TO REVIEW!) ON THE NEXT CHAPTER I POST (WHICH WILL BE IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS) I LILLIE KATERINA RIDE WILL WRITE THE REST OF ASH: A MAXIMUM RIDE NOVEL OVER MY WINTER BREAK (WHICH IS 2 WEEKS LONG) AND I WILL POST A NEW CHAPTER EVERY DAY ONCE I COMPLETE IT.** How does that sound? Is that motivational? Do that and I'll do what I promised. There you go.

~Lillie :)


	26. Dance (II)

**BEFORE YOU READ THIS CHAPTER PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO THINK ABOUT TODAY'S EVENTS AND TO SEND GOOD THOUGHTS TO THE FAMILIES WHO EXPERIENCED TRAGEDY DURING THE DAY. 20 INNOCENT CHILDREN ARE GONE, AS WELL AS 7 TEACHERS. BEFORE TODAY, WE HAD 1000'S OF REASONS WHY THE US SHOULD BAN GUNS, BUT TODAY WE ADDED 27 MORE TO THAT LIST. THIS IS A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY. IF YOU ARE SOMEONE WHO WAS DIRECTLY EFFECTED BY WHAT HAPPENED TODAY, I SEND MY BEST** **WISHES AND MY CONDOLENCES. IF YOU HAVE ANYBODY IN YOUR FAMILY WHO IS OF THE ELEMENTARY AGE PLEASE MAKE SURE TO GIVE THEM AN EXTRA HUG AND KISS AND TO REMIND THEM ABOUT HOW MUCH YOU LOVE THEM.** **THIS COULD HAVE BEEN THEM. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN ANYBODY. MAKE SURE THAT YOU REALIZE HOW TRAGIC AND SERIOUS THIS WAS. THOSE CHILDREN WHO DID SURVIVE THE ORDEAL WILL NOW WAKE UP EVERYDAY FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES AND HAVE TO WONDER IF THINGS SO SIMPLE AS GOING TO SCHOOL** **ARE SAFE ANYMORE. **

**THANK YOU **

**~Lillie**

* * *

><p><strong>ASH POV<strong>

I stand on the edge of the balcony. A million different thoughts are running through my mind. I clutch the railing, as I stare intently at the ground beneath me. The sidewalk is at least two hundred feet below where I stand. It would be so easy to let myself fall over the edge. I would hit the street within seconds and never have to face anything again. I could end it all so easily.

I wouldn't have to face Fang. I wouldn't have to deal with knowing that my mother was dead. I would hit the ground and all the things, big and little, would disappear. A decision so simple to make and yet so inerasable. Death would be the only permanent thing that I had ever had, there would be no going back.

Knowing that I'm not thinking straight, I force myself to step back from the edge of the balcony. I can barely breath, I'm crying so hard. Images of him hugging her replay in my head. The way he whispered her name, the way he ran to her, the way his eyes lit up.

I gag as if I might throw up, but I can't, because my stomach is empty. Everything starts becoming blurry and I wobble slightly. I make my way over to a nearby bench and I sit down.

"Ash?" I hear Nudge say behind me.

She comes over to where I am and sits down next to me. I look up at her, trying to not choke on my tears. I manage to stop crying for a second, but as the images resurface, so do my tears.

"What happened?" she asks, pushing my hair out of my face.

"F-f-f-fang," I gasp.

"What did he do?" Nudge demands," Tell me Ash. Did he hurt you?"

I breathe in slightly. How can I explain to her what I saw? Will she believe me, or will she blame me?

"W-we were dancing together, and then he looked up and saw a girl. He let go of me without saying anything, to go catch her. And- and," I sob.

"So he left you on the dance floor to go meet up with some girl?" she questions.

"N-no," I gasp, trying to breath," She-she is his daughter."

"Oh my god," Nudge whispers," You're saying that he got some other girl pregnant after your mom?"

"I'm no sure," I admit, reluctantly," She looked like she is exactly my age."

Nudge's eyes grow wide. Her face goes from sympathetic to confusion to anger, as she tries to process what I just told her.

"He cheated on Max," she pipes up.

"I think so," I whisper.

"Oh god."

"Ash are you out here?" Fa.g calls, walking out onto the balcony.

Nudge and I both jump up. He looks relieved to see me, but his face drops once he sees that I am crying. He quickly walks over.

Nudge stops him when he's a couple of feet away. He looks sown at her, confused.

"How dare you," Nudge growls, pushing Fang backwards.

"What are you doing, Nudge?" Fang asks.

"I'm protecting her," she says, taking a few steps closer to Fang.

Nudge slaps him across the face, hard. The sound echoes, as he looks up in shock.

"That's for Max," she snarls.

Fang looks over at me, just as a sharp pain hits my head. My hand flies to the pain. My legs crumble beneath me. I vaguely get a glance at the night sky, before my eyes flutter shut.

* * *

><p><strong>FANG POV<strong>

I watch as she clutches her head, and falls to the ground. She gasps quickly, out of shock. Moments later her eyes close and I lurch forward.

Nudge puts her hand out, in attempt to stop me. She immediately pulls her hand back when she sees Ash lying on the ground. I kneel next to Ash.

"Ash? Ash? Wake up!" I yell, shaking her.

Nudge rushes over to where I am. She tries to push me out of the way, but I don't let her.

"What do we do?" Nudge cries.

"I don't know," I tell her.

"We need to get her out of here," Nudge says.

I put my arms underneath her head and her legs, to lift her up. Ash is limp, which makes it difficult to hold her.

"Nudge," I grunt, trying to balance Ash's weight," Run ahead to the bellhop, and tell him to have the valet bring the car around."

"Okay," she murmurs, rushing ahead of me.

All heads turn towards me as I enter the lobby. When they see who I am they part, so that I can walk through. Hannah stands at the entrance of the room, wide eyed and unmoving. I brush past her, but she doesn't follow.

"What happened to her?" Angel asks, running up to me.

"I don't know, I think she fainted," I tell her," Will you get Ian and meet us at the car."

Angel nods, and goes to find Ian, I make my way outside. The flash of camera lights follow me, as I walk towards the car. Nudge is already waiting for me. A few minutes later, Angel brings Ian. Somehow, Mark and Hannah manage to find their way into the car as well, and we leave.

Ian takes Ash from me. He glares at me as if it is my fault. I try to avoid meeting his eyes. Nudge stares at me the entire way home as well, letting me know that she hasn't forgotten about what happened on the balcony.

* * *

><p>We arrive at home about half an hour later. Ian carries Ash into the house and takes her to their room. I stay downstairs and wait in the living room. Ian come back down ten minutes later.<p>

"I think she'll be okay," Ian says.

"Ian, can I talk to you for a minute?" Nudge whispers.

"Sure," he tells her.

Nudge goes over to the corner of the room and Ian follows.

"I Ash... Um... You know?" Nudge begins.

"Is Ash what?" Ian asks, confused.

"Is Ash pregnant?" Nudge asks, softly.

My ears perk up, when I hear her say pregnant. I just met my daughter, I'm not ready to be a grandfather. I pray with all I have in me that he says no.

"Why do you ask?"

"Just because she fainted for no apparent reason, and that doesn't usually happen, unless something is going on medically," she explains to him.

"Oh," he says, looking down at his feet.

"Well is she?" Nudge asks.

"No," Ian tells her.

I sigh in relief, unsure of what I would have done if he had said yes.

"And you absolutely sure?" Nudge presses.

"Yes," Ian assures.

"Not even the slightest possibility?"

"No," he tells her.

"Okay," Nudge says, walking away, having nothing further to say to Ian.

As Nudge leaves I follow her. Once I am close enough, I pull her upstairs and into my room. I turn the light on and push into a chair, next to my bed.

"You're going to tell me everything that you know," I say.

"Know about what?"

"Max, Ash, Ian, everything. I have a right to know," I say, sitting down on the bed.

"Alright," Nudge sighs," But first, you have to explain why you felt that now was the perfect time to bring that girl here. And how you could have done what you did to Max."

"Hannah?"

"I don't know what her name is," Nudge snarls," All i know is that you cheated on Max."

"How could you say something like that Nudge?!" I demand, angrily.

"What do you mean how could I say something like that?" Nudge says, with her voice rising," You brought home your daughter, who just happens to be the same age as Ash, and you want to know what you did wrong? Well, why don't you ask Max about what you did wrong? Oh, wait! You can't! Because you are the reason that she left!"

"Hannah isn't my daughter!" I tell her.

"What?" Nudge gasps, looking at me in surprise.

"Hannah is my sister," I explain," After I left, I found my birth mother and her husband. I did raise them however."

"Them?"

"I have another sister too, she's a couple years younger than Hannah," I tell her.

"Oh god, Fang I'm so sorry," Nudge apologizes.

"It's okay," I insist," I don't want to talk about it. I want you to tell me about Max."

" Alright, I'll tell you what I know."

* * *

><p>I walk down the hall, to her room. I slip in silently, knowing that she won't be awake. Guilt washes over me, when I see her laying in the bed, beneath the covers. Her hair is everywhere, on the pillow, on her face.<p>

I kneel on the floor, next to the bed. I take her hand in mine. I brush the hair out of her face, and kiss her on the forehead. She remains motionless.

"I'm so sorry that I left," I whisper," I only did it because I wanted to protect your mother. And in a way I'm sure me leaving protected you. I swear that if I had known about you I would have stayed. I would have loved to have been there for you. Honestly though, I don't think there is any way I can ever make it up to you. And I feel horrible, because while you were all alone, taking care of yourself, I was busy raising Hannah and Georgia. Lately I've been thinking what life would have been like if you had been there with us. I'm sure Hannah would have loved to have had an older sister, to with all the things I didn't know how to deal with. You would really like Hannah and Georgia, although Hannah isn't exactly the forgiving type, so we aren't really speaking at the moment. And Georgia, well Georgia isn't doing so well. She sick you see, and it's all my fault. So then again, maybe I wouldn't have been the best parent. But that doesn't matter now, because I promise that from now on I will always be there for you, heck, I'll even become best friends with Ian if you want. You need to under stand, Ash, I will do anything for you. Because I'm your father and I love you."

I kiss her again, and rest my head next to hers, with my eyes shut. When my eyes open, I see a picture on Ash's nightstand. I lift my head up and let go of her hand. I pick up the picture and look at it.

A woman with dark brown hair stands smiling, while holding a baby with bright red hair. My eyes eyes linger on the baby, knowing that it's Ash. My gaze shifts back over to the woman in the picture.

For some reason, I feel like I recognize her. My mind tries to place her. Where have I seen this woman before? At work? No. At a party?. No, that's not it either.

I suddenly realize that she's the same girl that I met twenty years ago, while I was on my search for my parents. I remember meeting her in a store and holding a baby for her. And for some reason, I can still remember her name, Sophie. The woman's name had been Sophie. I look at the baby in the picture knowing that I once held her.

I held that same baby. Babies, of course, grow up. I look over at Ash, knowing that the baby was her. I held Ash. What startles me most though is the fact that if I held Ash, Max couldn't have been far behind. I had come so close to Max. Maybe if had only stayed a few moment longer I would have run into her and I would have found out that Ash was my daughter. I had come so close. If I had spent anymore time in that store, I would have been in Ash's life. If I hadn't been in a hurry, I would have been reunited with Max. I had been so close, and mere seconds had torn my family just out of my reach.

* * *

><p><strong>SO FAR YOU GUYS NEED 30 MORE REVIEWS FOR ME TO WRITE THE REST OF ASH! AND AT LEAST 100 PEOPLE HAVE READ THIS CHAPTER! SO YOU GUYS BETTER GET REVIEWING IF YOU WANT ME TO WRITE AND UPDATE! AS OF RIGHT NOW IT ISN'T LOOKING SO GREAT<strong>

**I hope you liked the chapter! REMEMBER THAT IF I GET 40 REVIEWS FOR THE CHAPTER I WILL WRITE THE REST OF ASH OVER MY BREAK AND I WILL POST A NEW CHAPTER EVERY SINGLE DAY ONCE BREAK IS OVER. So please review. Sorry if the chapter has a different vibe, but after what happened today I had difficulty in writing a happy chapter. Again, please take a moment to be thankful and send your best wishes to the victims in Connecticut. **

**~Lillie :)**


	27. So, I Won't Be A Pro Bridge Builder

**FANG POV**

I wake up on the couch, the next morning. I struggle to remember how I got here, but then I recall giving Hannah my room. I groan as I sit up, because my back is sore.

"Well you're finally up," Angel says, behind me.

I rotate to see her, making my back pop. She stands in the doorway of the living room, holding a plate of food. Angel smiles weakly.

"Oh god. What time is it?" I moan, realizing that the room is flooded with bright sunlight.

"11:30," she tells me, walking over to the backside of the couch, and handing me the plate.

"Holy shit?! Why didn't you wake me up?!" I ask, setting the plate of food on the coffee table in front of the couch," Is Ash awake?!"

"You stayed up really late with Ash, you needed the sleep. And as far as I know, she isn't awake," Angel yawns.

"Somebody's sleepy," Mark laughs, walking up behind Angel and grabbing her around the waist," Maybe we should go back to bed."

Angel looks up at him and smiles. He winks and leans down and kisses her on the head. I stare at them in shock.

"Get away from her," I snarl, standing up.

"It's not like that, man," Mark says.

"It isn't?" I growl, walking around the couch to them and ripping Angel out of his arms.

"Let go of me, Fang!" Angel mutters.

I let go of her and step closer to Mark. I glance back and forth between the two of them. By the way Angel is looking at me I can tell that she is trying to search my mind, for my thoughts.

"How dare you sleep with with her!" I yell at Mark, pushing him in the chest," She's my little sister! And you're my best friend! I trusted you!"

"We didn't sleep together!" Angel screams.

"Don't even bother with trying to lie for him."

"I'm not. Please don't do this, Fang," Angel pleads, letting her voice fall to a whisper.

"Fine," I say, turning from Angel to Mark," But I swear to god, if you ever, I mean ever, hurt her, even a little bit, I will kill you and dump your body into the middle of the fucking Pacific Ocean. You got it?"

"Yeah, whatever," Mark agrees.

"Good," I tell him," Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go check on Ash."

I walk away from them. As I climb the stairs I think about Mark being with my sister. The thought scares me.

I have known Mark for fifteen years, and in those fifteen years he hasn't changed one bit. He's always been the college playboy and he always will be. I just don't know why I never tried to teach him the value of women. I guess I just didn't care about his constant affairs, one night stands, parties and breaks. Until last night, when he met Angel and she became his new target in his game of catch and release.

Unable to bear being in the same room, as the two of them, any longer I stalk out of the living room and up the stairs.

* * *

><p>I walk down the hall, to Ash's and Ian's room. I knock on the door and wait.<p>

"Come in," Ian calls.

I slowly enter and close the door behind me. I see Ian laying in bed, next to Ash, stroking her cheek.

"Still no luck?" I ask.

"No," Ian says.

"Has this ever happened before?"

"Um no," I shrugs," Why do you ask."

"No reason, it's just that Max used to get headaches and stuff like that, so I thought that maybe that has something to do with what's going on with Ash," I tell him.

"She never really talks about Max, so I wouldn't know," Ian informs me.

"Really?" I raise my eyebrows," I would have thought she would tell you everything."

"Nope," Ian admits," For example, I know she had an aunt who used to live with her and Max, but she never told me what happened to her."

"Sophie?"

"Yeah," Ian says," That's what her name was. How do you know about Sophie? You just said that Ash doesn't tell you anything. And no offense or anything, but you haven't known Ash for very long , and if she already told you about Sophie it means she really doesn't trust me after all we've been through."

"You're right," I laugh," She doesn't tell you anything, let alone me. But last night when I came in here, I saw the picture of Sophie on the nightstand and I recognized her."

"Okay, now you're sounding creepy," Ian tells me.

"Oh, it's not like I stalked her. I just happened to have a run in with Sophie about twenty years ago," I explain.

"Let me guess," Ian chuckles," It was the classic boy meets girl story. It was summer time and you wandered into a store and you saw a beautiful girl struggling to reach something on the top shelf."

"Actually, you'd be correct," I tell him," Except, Ash was in her arms."

"Oh god, this isn't going to get disgusting is it?" Ian asks, horrified," Cause I don't need to here that you slept with Max's best friend, who you left I might add."

"No," I assure him," All that happened was that I helped her and we may have kept in touch for a little while."

"Why would you do that," Ian asks, confused.

"Because," I tell him," Sophie was hot, even if I thought that the baby was hers at first."

"So, you went through all that and you somehow never realized Max was living with her?"

"Well," I gape," When you say it like that, you make me sound like an idiot."

"Well you kept in touch and you never asked about the baby's mother. And I can't make you something you're not," Ian laughs.

"Do you love her?" I ask out of the blue, in an almost ridiculous attempt to change the subject.

"What do mean?"

"I mean do you actually love her. There's a difference between just being with someone because they're like you and truly loving someone," I tell him.

"I've always loved her, from the moment I first met her when I was seventeen. I didn't even know she had wings like me until the night I married her," Ian says.

"But you've only known her two years-."

"Four," he interrupts me," I've known her for four years."

"But you just said you were seventeen when you met her," I tell him.

"I was seventeen and Ash was fifteen." Ian explains.

"So young," I whisper.

Ian laughs, throwing his head back. I look at him, not sure of what he's laughing at.

"What's so funny?" I ask.

"You," Ian chuckles.

"Me?"

"Yes you," Ian tells me," You think that Ash being two years younger than me makes me too old for her, and that her being fifteen when I met her makes me weird. But in case you forgot, you were fifteen when you got Max pregnant."

I lower my head so I can't see him staring at me. I don't want to admit that I know he's right.

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry about earlier," I tell Angel, as I enter the kitchen.<p>

"It's fine, Fang," she tells me," I really don't want to talk about it, I have to get dinner ready."

"Why isn't Nudge making dinner?" I ask.

"She went to airport to pick up Brian," Angel says, reaching into a cabinet and taking out a stack of plates," He was supposed to be home a couple of weeks ago, but he had to stay in New York for work."

"Do you want help?"

"No Fang!" she tells me, throwing one of the plates down onto the counter (luckily the plate is plastic)," I don't want anything from you! You've done enough! Because of you, Mark is afraid to be with me. And I know we just met, but I really love him."

I step away from her. Something about today is just off. Today I've already burned a bridge with Mark and Angel, and now Ian pretty much told me that I wasn't there for Max.

* * *

><p><strong>ASH POV<strong>

I groan as I roll over in the bed. Sharp pains in my head make me disorientated.

"Ian?" I whisper, feeling for him, next to me, in the bed.

I listen for an answer, but one never comes. I faintly hear laughter downstairs. I sit up and swing my legs out of the bed.

I trudge down the hall, to the stairs. Once I reach the bottom I follow the commotion to the living room. I see that Nudge has her arms around a tall man, who I know must be her husband. I cough softly. Everyone turns to look at me. Brian's eyes grow wide when he sees me.

"Oh my god, you're awake," Angel cries.

"Jennifer? What are you doing here?" Brian asks.

I step back slightly in shock. A stabbing pain hits my stomach and before any of them can stand up I am doubled over, kneeling in the floor, throwing up.

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, so I finally broke down. But just so you know, a few people already read the chapter like a week ago and have given me feedback.<strong>

**ANYWAYS, moving on, I worked hard, its shorter than usual, but still. And OMG major plot twist yet again!**

**THINGS TO THINK AND REVIEW ABOUT:**

1) Fang's rising anger

2) Ash being sick (what's going on?)

3) Angel and Mark being together

4) FIAN awkwardness (NOTE: FIAN= Fang and Ian) (it sounds like a ship, ew!)

5) FOPHIE romance (NOTE: FOPHIE= Fang and Sophie) ( possible ship)

6) Is there an impending Hannah and Ash showdown?

7) Is Georgia still alive?

8) Who is Lia? (I know she's Ian's mom, but who is she?)

9) Is Ian bad? ( he is Dr. Gunther-Hagen's grandson after all)

10) Ash having daddy issues?

11) Ash having a mommy meltdown?

12) What's going to happen to Max's other kids? ( Henry, Annicka and Lewis + baby number four)

13) Is anybody connecting the dots between Max/Jenn, Jeb, Sam and Brian?

14) What is Ella's secret? ( we won't be finding out in this round of ASH, but you guys can tell me what you think it is)

15) Is Iggy being able to see good or bad?

16) Is Sophie good or bad? And dead or alive?

17) What does Brian's homecoming mean?

18) Ash's grand finale (her puking in front of the entire family)

19) Will Ash and Ian stay together?

20) What should happen in the story?

**SO, that's that! Please tell me what you think. Those are all valuable questions (well most of them anyways)**

**AGAIN! PLEASE REVIEW AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!**

**I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter!**

**~Lillie :)**


	28. No Mary

**NEW POLL UP FOR THIS CHAPTER! ITS ON MY PROFILE PAGE!**

* * *

><p><strong>ASH<strong> **POV**

"Good morning sunshine!" Angel sings, entering my bedroom, holding a glass of water.

"What happened?" I moan, pressing my palm against my forehead.

"I'm not telling you anything until you drink this," Angel tells me, handing me the glass.

I take it from her and drink the water as fast as I can manage. I look up at her, waiting for an answer, but a knock at the door keeps her from talking. She skips to the door and opens it. Fang walks in holding a tray.

"Have you told her?" Fang grins, setting the tray down in front of me.

"Told me what?" I ask, trying to ignore the smell of eggs and bacon coming from the tray.

"Nope, and I'm going to keep it that way until she eats all her breakfast," Angel tells him.

"And let me guess," I say, rolling my eyes," You won't tell me unless I get dressed too."

"Pretty much," she laughs.

Fang hands me the fork and I begin shoving the food in my mouth. When I'm done I realize that I'm still hungry.

"More please," I cough, choking on the last bits of food I ate.

"Of course," Angel says," You've been pretty much asleep for two and a half days, not counting when you caused that scene downstairs two nights ago."

"I've been asleep that long?" I gasp in disbelief.

I'd been know to sleep for a solid sixteen hours in one day, occasionally. But it had never been like this before. Any other time it had happened I had woken up like normal.

Before I am able to finish my train of thoughts, my stomach lurches and I'm sprinting to the bathroom. Angel follows be to the toilet and hold my hair back for me.

"Wow," Angel mutters," That hangover really did a number and you, didn't it."

"I'm not hungover," I cough, before throwing up again.

When I'm done, Angel shakes her head and leaves me to go talk to Fang, closing the door on her way out. I stand up and walk over to the sink, to brush my teeth. Once I finish I walk over to the close door and I press my ear against it.

"Nudge thinks Ash is pregnant," Fang whispers.

"We don't know that for sure," Angel tells him, softly," Ian said that she isn't."

"Well Ian might not know, right?" Fang asks, still keeping his voice low.

"Fang, Ian knows more than you," Angel says," I mean he would be the father after all."

"Fine, but if she ends up being pregnant I'm going to kill him," Fang mutters, angrily.

"Oh, just shut up already," I tell them, opening the bathroom door.

I walk to the edge of the bed and let myself fall forward, facedown onto the mattress. I then roll over onto my back.

"Seriously though, can't a girl be sick and not be stereotyped?" I asked.

Both Fang and Angel stare at me awkwardly. I can tell that they're embarrassed that I heard their conversation. But who are they kidding? How could I not hear? I was in the freaking bathroom. Of course I heard their little conversation.

"Fang," Angel whispers," Can I talk to Ash, alone?"

Fang nods and mutters some sort of awkward apology before he leaves. Angel sighs and walks over to where I lay on the bed. She then lays back on the bed, next to me.

"So," Angel says," How is it, um, going?"

"I'm not pregnant, if that's what you're asking," I tell her.

"Not to be rude or anything, but are you sure?" Angel asks.

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Things like these happen sometimes," Angel says.

"I'm not pregnant," I snap.

"Okay," Angel whispers," If you're sure."

"Angel, I swear to god, that under no circumstances is it possible, in any way, that I am pregnant. I assure you that it is physically impossible," I growl.

"Well it can't be impossible," Angel tells me.

"Okay, the next time you meet a pregnant virgin I will be your captive audience, but until the you'll need to excuse me, because I have to go throw up again," I say, standing up and walking back to the bathroom.

I lock the door and rush over to the toilet, because I actually do have to throw up. Angel comes to the door and tries to get me to let her in, but when I won't she gives up and leaves.

As I sit on the cold bathroom floor I begin to think. What if I am pregnant? It couldn't be that hard for an evil scientist to figure out some way to get me pregnant without me knowing it. Oh, shit. What if I am. What will I tell Ian? Wait. The School doesn't even know that I exist. But then again, I was attacked by Erasers, so they must know. This is pretty much the worst possible situation.

Okay, I get that being a teenage mother probably isn't the best thing, but I am almost twenty and I'm married. Then again, if I am pregnant my husband is most definitely not the father. And pregnant virgin isn't really plausible (I'm no Mary), even given the evil scientists.

Maybe it's biological. Maybe the evil scientist made it so that once we reach the age twenty we automatically have a baby. Nudge was twenty when she had Kinsey. But wait, Angel has never been pregnant (that I know of, I guess).

I stand up, unlock the bathroom door and I back to the bed. I call for Angel and she comes back to my room.

"What do you need?" Angel asks.

"Have you ever been pregnant?"

"I'm sorry," Angel says," But what?"

"Have. You. Ever. Been. Pregnant." I repeat.

"Like with a baby?"

"No, with a kitten," I roll my eyes," Yes with a baby!"

"Um, I guess, a long time ago," She tells me.

"And who was the father?" I ask.

"That's none of your business," She says.

"No, seriously," I tell her," I need to know."

"I'm not giving you a name, Ash," Angel sighs," All I'm going to tell you is that it was somebody it shouldn't have been."

"Somebody I know?" I ask, trying to clarify.

Angel stays silent, her eyes shift to the ground. I can tell that it really must be bad. As in it's a member of the Flock. It then occurs to me that all of the boys in the Flock have been either married or in a relationship for the past ten years, and Angel would have most definitely been pregnant in that time frame. It really is as bad as it seems.

"I'm so sorry, Angel," I say.

"It's okay, it's not your fault," Angel tells me," I was stupid and I was young."

"If I end up being pregnant, will you help me?" I ask.

Angel looks up at me. Small tears stream down her face.

"Of course she," she says.

* * *

><p>"I worked with Jennifer in New York," Brian explains to me.<p>

"But I'm not getting who Jennifer is. How does she have any association with me?" I ask, still confused.

"Jennifer, is Max," Fang tells me.

"So if Jennifer is Max," I say," Then what does this all mean?"

"It means that we know where Max us. Max is finally coming home. We found her."

* * *

><p><strong>So, how was that? I really hope you liked it! It may have been short, but you know what they say, short and sweet. Anyways, like I said at the top of the page, there is a new poll for this chapter. The poll asks who you think the father of Angel's baby was. And as I said before, its on my profile.<strong>

**The choices for that poll are:**

**Fang (very wrong, but it could have happened)**

**Dylan (he's been missing for a few years, maybe this is why)**

**Iggy (he's been married to Ella for ten years, so this would be sad)**

**Gazzy (ew)**

**Brian (he's Nudge's husband, butbthat doesn't mean that he didn't cheat on her)**

**_RESULTS FOR WHO SHOULD BE THE FATHER OF JENN/MAX'S BABY:_**

**Fang: 71%**

**Dylan: 14%**

**James: 14%**

**Sam: 0%**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

**~Lillie :)**


	29. Breaking

**ASH POV**

"Alright, I just got of the phone with my grandfather," Ian announces, reentering the living room.

"And?" I press, for more details.

"We've got her," Ian smiles.

I sigh in relief. After a week of trying to figure out where my mom is, we finally have a location. My mom is going to come home. I have never been so excited in my entire life. Everybody else is excited too, especially Angel. I guess it makes sense, since my mom raised Angel from the time that she was a baby. Angel also has begun to spend more time with me. I think that she trusts me more, after she told me that she had been pregnant before.

Fang, on the other hand, has become a little bit more monotone and unresponsive about the whole thing. Which is weird, considering that he had been so excited at first. Now he just isn't into it. All that separates him from my mother is twenty years, two runaways (the both of them had abandoned the Flock), and one daughter (me).

Maybe that is what it is. Perhaps he hasn't fully forgiven her for never telling him that she was pregnant. Then again, he is the one who left and didn't give my mother the chance to tell him that she was pregnant (even though she didn't know at the time). So maybe he actually hasn't forgiven himself for leaving her. Maybe he is afraid that when he sees my mom she won't want to see him and she'll shut him out, not that I think she will. He is the love of her life, after all, and the father of her child.

"When do we leave?" Ian asks, sitting down next to me, on the couch.

"Tomorrow morning," Angel says.

"Okay, I'll make sure everybody's ready," Nudge says, "In the mean time, I think that we should call it a night."

"What! It's super early," Kinsey whines.

"For everyone," Nudge clarifies, which shuts Kinsey up.

I stand up to leave the room, but Angel stops me at the door. She pulls me up the stairs towards her room, and I follow.

"Did you get it?" I whispers, once we're safely inside and the door is locked.

"Yes," she says, walking to her closet.

She leans over and picks up a small plastic bag. Angels walks back to me and hands me the bag. I look inside, to make sure.

"You probably don't want to take it tonight," Angel tells me," A lot will be going on tomorrow and it would be best if you didn't have to worry about it."

"You're right," I agree," If I am pregnant one more day won't make a difference."

"Good luck," Angel whispers, giving me a hug.

I thank her, before I leave.

The only light in the room is coming from the small crack under the bathroom door. I hear the toilet flush, which makes me know that Ian could come out at any moment. I quickly scamper over to the bed and shove the pregnancy test under my pillow.

The bathroom door begins to open, and I hurriedly yank my shirt over my head, to make it look like I'm changing. Ian smirks at me and I blush. I don't blush because I have my shirt off, I blush because I was really close to being caught.

He walks over and pulls me into a passionate kiss. We fall back onto the bed, with him on top of me. I push him back slightly.

"What was that for?" I pant, breathless from our kiss.

"I'm excited for tomorrow and I wanted to celebrate," he chuckles.

"Oh?" I laugh," You were excited? Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but we won't be doing that type of celebrating tonight."

"Soon?" he asks.

"Soon," I smile back," Once the dust has settled and been blown away."

* * *

><p>The buzz of my alarm clock pulls me out of my sleep. I hit the button and roll over to wake Ian up, but he's already awake. He is laying completely still, while starting at the ceiling.<p>

"Its time to get up," I yawn, bending over to kiss him, but he moves away.

He has a strange look on his face. It's both angry and calm at the same time.

"Are you okay?" I ask.

"No," he snarls," I'm not."

"What happened?"

"I found this last night," he mutters angrily, holding up the pregnancy test.

"Oh, god," I whisper," It isn't what you think. I promise."

He rolls out of the bed, still holding the pregnancy test, and walks over to our dresser. He pulls out a t-shirt and yanks it over his head. Ian then turns to stare at me.

"I don't know what to think, Ash," he mutters," I'm really torn right now, between being completely heartbroken and being more angry and betrayed than I have ever been in my entire life. And then here you have the nerve to sit there and say that it isn't what I think. How can it not be what I think!? Because as I recall, we've never slept together, which means that clearly you've been with somebody else if have the need to buy a god damn pregnancy test! And to be honest right now, I think that if I never saw you again I would have no remorse whatsoever!"

"Please don't do this Ian," I say, beginning to cry," I really can explain."

"NO!" Ian explodes, throwing the pregnancy test at the wall, with such a force that I actually hear it break into a million pieces," THERE ISN'T ANYTHING TO EXPLAIN! AFTER RIGHT NOW DON'T EXPECT TO EVER SEE ME AGAIN!"

He then throws the bedroom door open and storms out of the room. In all of our relationship I never imagined that he would leave me like that. I never though that he would leave me, period. And yet, here I am sobbing in the same bed that we've shared for most of our marriage. I messed up, and there's nothing I can do to correct it, because it isn't even my fault.

* * *

><p>Angel finds me still lying in bed about an hour later.<p>

"Hey, we've been looking all over for you. It's time to go," She says, approaching the bed," Where's Ian?"

I remain silent. My eyes stay glued to the ceiling, unblinking. I don't even feel like I'm real anymore, its almost as if I'm dead. I think that maybe I am dead. I'm not moving, I'm not breathing, I'm not even sure if my heart is still beating. And I'm sure that my lips have turned blue from my pack of warmth.

"Ash? What happened? What's wrong?" Angel asks, concerned.

Her hand reaches over to clasp my wrist. I don't think she feels a pulse, because she slowly backs away and I begin to hear soft sobs. She crumples to the floor when she finally reaches the wall.

A couple minutes later Nudge walks into the room and sees Angel crying on the floor.

"Oh my god, Angel, why are you crying," Nudge asks.

"Ash... Is... Dead...," she sobs, lifting her hand to point towards me.

Nudge's eyes widen in shock and she runs towards me. She places her hands on my shoulders and shakes me. I limply rock back in forth, still not moving on my own.

"BRIAN!," Nudge shrieks.

Moments later Brian enters the room out of breath.

"What's wrong?" he coughs.

"SHE'S DEAD!" Nudge screams.

Brian immediately steps into action. He races over to the edge of the bed and he pulls Nudge of of me. He then calls for Fang. Brian starts to attempt CPR, but I don't respond. Brian utters encouragements in between breathes.

By the time Fang enters the room Brian has given up and he has his arms wrapped around Nudge, as he tries to console her to no avail. Fang looks to Brian for answers.

"I'm so sorry," Brian whispers," I tried."

Fang then looks to me, where I still lay unmoving and unbreathing in the bed. He walks over to me and places his hand on my forehead. Hand then moves to under chin.

"She's making her body shut down," he says.

"What do you mean?" Brian asks.

"For some reason she's telling her body to shut down." Fang tells him," Max did this once."

"But she doesn't have a pulse and she isn't breathing," Brian argues.

"Trust me," Fang says," She's alive. She's doing this on purpose. Something must have happened."

Angel stands up, and as she walks towards me she wipes the tears off her face. She leans down and places a soft and love filled kiss on my forehead.

"You can get her up, I know you can," Angel tells Fang, before leaving.

Brian has to drag Nudge from the room, because she won't calm down. Once they at gone Fang lays down, on his back, next to me in the bed "You remind me of Max, you know," Fang says," Sometimes I could swear that you're just her with red hair. She would be so proud of you, after everything you've done. It truly is amazing how you were on your own for all those years. In fact, I think you're braver than the entire Flock. When we were growing up we always had each other and Max to lead us, but you didn't have anybody besides yourself."

He reaches down and takes my hand into his. Our fingers somehow perfectly intertwine. His warmth begins to spread through me, like a forest fire tearing through trees. I feel the ice thawing away and my skin turning pink.

"Ian left, didn't he?" Fang asks," Just like I did. He left you the same way that I left Max. I know that there is a reason that he left, but I also know that no matter what, the reason isn't good enough. I also know that he won't ever forgive himself. It will come back to haunt him. He'll see a dash of red hair and he'll remember you, he'll see somebody's chocolate brown eyes and he'll imagine that you're still with him, he'll see a young family and he'll know that it could have been you. No matter what he does and where he goes, he will never be able to escape you. He will never forgive himself. He'll never let let go. You'll always be the one that he let go."

He looks over at me, but I continue to stay still. He scoots a few inches closer and I feel my body temperature skyrocket by a million degrees.

"I'm sorry, Ash," Fang whispers," This is all my fault. If only I hadn't left like an idiot this wouldn't have happened. I wish that I could have been there, to have seen you be born, to have seen you taken your first steps, to have rocked to sleep at night, to have picked you up when you fell down, and to have been your dad. I really wish, everyday, that I hadn't left. And I'll spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to you. I love, Ash, I really do."

I feel slight prickles in the back of my eyes. My body begins to shiver out of sadness. My eyes almost begin to wander from the ceiling.

"If you had been there I wouldn't have met Ian," I whimper, softly.

Fang turns to look at me, letting out a sigh of relief. I can tell what he is thinking; I might be heartbroken, but at least I'm not dead.

"I had been there I wouldn't let any boy hurt you, then gain, I wasn't so I can't just jump in twenty years later and try to control your life," He says," But trust me, by the time I wad your age I had made far stupider decisions, like leaving your mom."

"Not to mention getting a girl pregnant when you were fifteen," I sniffle," I will never understand how that happened, nor do I want to."

"That's good," Fang laughs," Cause I'm not telling you. I will say that your mother was the one who made the first move."

"I don't want want to here about this," I grimace.

"Alright," he chuckles," I'm sorry."

We lay in silence for a few more minutes. He holds my hand so sweetly that it's almost as if he thinks that I might break. For brief moments I let myself believe that it's always been this way. I imagine that he was there when I was growing up.

"There's something I have to go do," Fang says, shifting slightly away, and loosening his soft grip on my hand," I'll be back in about an hour. Do you think that you'll be able to be ready by then?"

I nod, and he stands up. I watch as he turns around and ruffles his black hair with his hands. I prop myself on one of my elbows.

"Fang," I say.

"Yeah?" he asks.

"Thank you," I whisper into his ear, throwing my arms around his neck," This meant so much to me."

He wraps his arms around my waist and squeezes me slightly. When we pull back from the hug our faces are only inches apart. We stare at each other for a few moments. He gently places his hand on my cheek.

"You're so pretty," He smiles," Just like your mother. I'm so happy that you came to the cliff that day."

"I'm so happy that you stayed, when you could have left," I breathe.

"I will never leave you. You're my daughter and I've missed enough of your life already."

* * *

><p>So, this is really hard for me to do, but I have to. It isn't going to be forever, maybe just a few months. Things have gotten really bad in my life and I need time to sort it out. It's not like a break up or that crap. Its just my life suddenly changed for the worst and I need to deal with it. I'm going to finish this chapter and then I'll post the rest of it. But after that I'm not sure how long it will be. It might be a few weeks, it might be sooner. I promise that Ash will be finished, no matter what. I love you all. Thank you so much for following me this long. The road hasn't been easy and it's only getting tougher.<p>

~Lillie :(


	30. I'll Take That

**It took me a few weeks, but I managed to finally finish it. So, here it is...**

* * *

><p><strong>ASH POV<strong>

I trudge down the hall, towards the living room. I see Nudge, Angel and Kinsey sitting on the couch. Kinsey is asleep, with her head in Nudge's lap. Both Angel and Nudge look up, because a floorboard creaks, as I peek around the corner. Angel jumps to her feet and rushes towards me. Without saying anything, she pulls me into a tight hug.

"Can't... Breath..." I choke.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" she says, releasing me.

She lifts her hands up, to cup me face. Her thumbs rub my cheeks. She gives me a weak smile. I gulp, nervously.

"I could never forgive myself if anything happened to you," Angel tells me.

"Oh, Angel," I whisper.

"It's true, and you know it."

I give her a soft nod. She kisses me on the cheek, then takes one of my hands. She pulls me over to the couch, and places my other hand in Nudge's.

"We'll make it through this," Angel says," I promise."

* * *

><p>An hour later Fang comes home. By this time we've postponed our trip until tomorrow. It's already been eight years, so what does another day really do? I decide to go up to bed early, without dinner. I'm sure that if I eat I'll just throw it back up anyways.<p>

I slip on a tank top, and a pair of sweat pants. I gather my dirty clothes into a ball, and walk over to hamper. As I lift the lid I notice the small pregnancy test box laying on the floor. I quickly shove the clothes inside the hamper, and pick up the box.

I open one end of the box and turn it over. Shattered pieces of plastic fall into my hand. After holding them in my palm for a few moments, I realize that I'm looking at what destroyed my marriage. Oh, god, my marriage. I've never really thought of myself as a wife. I guess now that it's all over I'll be the ex. Great, I Ash Ride am going to become the hated ex-wife. To make matters worse, I'm not even twenty.

Right now my life really sucks. I'm about to get divorced at nineteen, my best friend just left me, I haven't seen my mom in eight years, and I might be pregnant. In all seriousness, there isn't much more that can make it worse.

I walk to the bathroom, and throw the box, and the test into the trash. I then turn off the light, walk back over to the bed, and bury myself under the covers. I toss and turn for a couple of hours, unable to fall asleep.

I finally give up. I sit up, and glance over at the clock. It's just past midnight. I sigh, throwing back the covers. After putting on a robe, I tiptoe down the stairs, and to the kitchen. I take a glass down from a cabinet, and fill it with water. My stomach growls, as I take a sip, but I ignore it, because I know that I'll just end up throwing up if I eat.

"Hey," Angel yawns, shuffling into the kitchen," It's late."

"Sorry," I say, choking on a sip of water.

"It's okay," she laughs," I can't fall asleep either."

"At least I'm not the only one," I sigh.

"I think the only person in this house who might actually get some sleep tonight is Kinsey, but that probably isn't a shocker, she's pretty much oblivious," Angel smiles.

"I guess that's one way of putting it, cause to be honest, she's probably the only person in this family who has had a semi normal, and peaceful childhood. "

"That's true," she agrees," But don't forget Brian. While he has heard about some of the things we went through he will never experience them."

"Lucky him," I say.

"Alright, I can tell that we're taking a turn her, so, um, let's go do something," she blurts.

"Angel, it's after midnight, what are we going to do?" I ask, in a serious and sarcastic tone, setting the glass of water down on the counter.

"I'll show you," she says

I follow her upstairs, to her room. Once we're inside she walks over to her window, and opens it. She then sticks get head out the window, and rotates so that her back is facing the ground. Moments later she is gone.

"Angel!" I cry, rushing to the window.

"What?" I hear her call.

I poke my head out the window, and look up. I see her staring down at me, from the roof, with a slightly amused look on her face. I sigh in relief.

"Well, are you coming?" she asks.

"I guess," I say.

I squeeze out of the window, and climb up onto the roof. By this time, Angel is already laying on her back, staring at the stars. I follow her lead, and lay back as well. We lay in silence for a few minutes, until Angel coughs softly.

"So, how are things?" she asks.

"What do you think? I laugh.

"Oh, right," she says," I'm sorry."

"It's fine, I'll just find some other bird boy to spend the rest of my life with. And this time he won't leave me."

Angel looks over at me with wide eyes. I can tell that I've shocked her.

"That was a joke," I tell her.

"Oh, okay, I got it," she coughs, nervously.

We don't talk any more after that. We just lay in silence. I eventually feel my eye lids grow heavy, and I doze off.

* * *

><p><strong>ANGEL POV<strong>

I lightly knock on Fang's door, and wait. About a minute later he answers the door, only wearing a pair of pajama pants. I roll my eyes.

"What do you need?" he yawns.

"Ash feel asleep and the roof," I tell him," I need you to come get her down for me."

"Why do you always need me to stuff like this?" he whines.

"Because I'm less than a hundred pounds, and Ash weighs a ton," I tell him.

"Alright," he sighs," Just give me a minute and I'll b-"

"Put on a shirt," I interject.

He looks down at his chest and nods. I turn and walk back towards my room. I climb back out the window, and climb onto the roof. A few minutes later Fang lands on the roof (wearing a shirt).

"You could have used the window," I tell him.

"Well I won't be able to get her through the window, so I figured that I might as well use the front door, and just fly up here," he explains.

"Good point," I say," Now how are we going to do this?"

"When you say we you mean me, and I am going to just fly down with her," he tells me.

"Alright."

Fang goes over to Ash and picks her up. At first he looks like he might drop her, but he balances her weight so that he doesn't. He then walks over to the edge of the roof and jumps off.

I can tell that that's my cue to go back to my room. Five minutes later I'm under the warm covers of my bed, ready to go to sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>ASH POV<strong>

Fang wakes me up the next morning, and explains how he had to bring me down from the roof the night before. Slightly embarrassed, I thank him, and then tell him that I need to get ready to go.

After getting dressed, the Flock (minus Iggy, Ella, Gazzy, and my mom) eats breakfast together. We then back up our backpacks full of survival gear. I swear you'd think we were getting ready for the zombie apocalypse. After that Bryan hands us each a gun, much to my surprise.

I try to insist that I don't need one, but everybody else refuses to take the gun, until I accidentally shoot a hole in one of the windows, which doesn't impress Nudge. At least they take the gun.

Once I'm gun free, and we've double checked everything, we take off. However, Bryan, Mark, Kinsey, and Hannah (who I haven't really seen much) stay behind, which leaves only four of us.

We arrive in New York seven hours later. By this time we're all completely warn out, so we decide to rest for a few hours. Once our break is over we fly towards the facility.

We wait, and watch for a few minutes before heading in. When we get inside there aren't any signs of life. Angel checks around corners, while Fang and I search for people in the front rooms. After we finish our search we walk back the the lobby, where Nudge is waiting.

"Did you find anything?" she asks.

"No," Fang says.

Angel comes back a couple of minutes later. She tells us that she didn't find anything either.

"Where is everybody?" I wonder.

"I don't know," Angel tells me, reading my mind," Something is going on here."

"Okay," Fang says," Until we figure out what is going on we need to stick together."

We end up deciding to search the rest of the facility in blocks. We divide the building into twenty sections. After checking fifteen sections we take a break. Ten minutes later we start clearing sections again. Two blocks later we here a loud bang, which puts us all on alert.

"Go up to the roof," Fang tells me, pushing me.

I grab Angel's hand and begin running towards the stairs. As I run I look back and see Nudge still standing by Fang. When we reach the stairs we climb them as fast as we can. We make it to the roof, our of breath, after about a minute of running.

As we try to catch our breath a buzzing sound fills the air. We both look up, trying to find where the sound is coming from. A helicopter is hovering directly over the building. While we watch with curiosity it slowly starts to descend.

* * *

><p><strong>FANG POV<strong>

"Go up to the roof, with Angel and Ash," I yell over the increasingly loud noises.

She nods, and rushes down the hall, towards the stairs. I approach a corner, and poke my head around the corner. I see shadows off people moving. I take off running.

I go to the floor above me, and try to find an unlocked room. I see a light at the end of the hall. Thinking it might be a door that leads outside, I run towards it.

As I approach the door I pull out my gun just to be safe. Before I open it, I take a quick glance. I freeze in shock.

I see Max sitting in a chair, behind a table.

* * *

><p><strong>MAX POV<strong>

"Why can't we just go home, Sam?" I ask.

"You don't get it do you," Sam growls," It wasn't real!"

"But we have kids!" I cry.

"You will never see them again," he says.

"I'm pregnant!"

"Why should I care," Sam laughs," That baby isn't even mine."

"What are you talking about?!" I shriek.

Sam slams his fist against the table. I jump in surprise. As my head whips up, a flicker of movement outside the door catches my I.

And then I see him staring back at me, the man I haven't seen in twenty years. Fang.

* * *

><p><strong>I promise that I'll update more! Please review and tell me what you thought! Just so you know, I do read all the reviews, and I think about all the ideas you put in them. So please help me out!<strong>

**~Lillie :)**


	31. Not How I Planned It To Be

**ASH POV**

I cling to Angel, as the helicopter lands. I tuck my head under her chin, and she wraps her arms around me. The large surge of wind that the helicopter threatens to knock us down, but Angel stands her ground. I look up, hearing the sound of the helicopter powering down.

I faintly see the pilot through the windshield. I can tell that it is a man. They open up the door of the helicopter and step out. Angel grips me tighter. The man begins walking towards us. He stops approximately twenty feet away and takes off his helmet.

"Jeb," Angel whispers, softly.

The man smiles and steps closer. I freeze up in fear. This time when he stops it's too close for comfort. His head cocks to one side, and he gives me a confused look. I can tell from the way he is looking at me that he has noticed that I look like Max.

"Who is this," Jeb asks.

"Hasn't Max told you? It doesn't seem like something you wouldn't know about," Angel says.

"Max doesn't tell me much," Jeb tells her.

"Well," Angel sighs," You're bound to find out sooner or later, so I might as well be the one to tell you. This is Max's daughter."

"Max's daughter," he chokes.

I nod slowly, unable to breath. He stares at me wide eyed. He reaches out, pulling me out of Angel's arms, and into his own. I don't fight him, I just let it happen.

"I tried to stop them," he says, releasing me.

I stumble back slightly. I stare at him, unsure of what I should do. I don't know who this man is, although I have heard his name on occasion.

"He's your grandfather," Angel tells me, reading my mind.

"Grandfather?" I croak.

I turn around, to look at her. She nods.

"She never said anything about you," I whisper.

"I don't expect that she would have," Jeb laughs," We've never really gotten along."

"Why are you here, Jeb?" Angel blurts out, suddenly.

"I came to get Sam," Jeb tells her.

"Sam?"

"Yes... Um... Well... You... Uh... See... Um... Haha...," he mumbles nervously," You remember Sam from Virginia, right?"

"Yes," Angel answers.

"He is... Um... Max's husband," Jeb stutters.

"What?!" Angel yells.

I stand motionless, unsure of what I should do. The sound of a door closing startles me. I turn around and see Nudge standing behind me.

"Jeb," she breaths, before running and hugging him.

I back up, until I bump into Angel.

"We can't trust him," Angel whispers, pulling me towards the door.

Somehow, we manage escape back into the building, which goes unnoticed by Jeb and Nudge. After running back down to the first floor, we make our way to the cafeteria.

"Why are we here?" I ask.

"I don't know," Angel confesses,"Something told me that we need to be here."

We settle at a table, and wait. As we wait the light of the setting sun pours through the large skylight in ceiling. I eventually set my head down on the table, and fall asleep. I don't know how long I've been asleep, before the sound of a gun being fired wakes me up.

* * *

><p><strong>FANG POV<strong>

I push the door open. As I do so, I see a man standing next to Max. He looks up at me, with anger in his eyes. I remember the gun in my hand. I know he sees it too, because he lifts his hands in the air, to show that he isn't a threat.

His blonde hair and green eyes seem eerily familiar. I suddenly recognize him. He was who Max went to when I was with Lissa. Even though he is no longer the fourteen year old boy I once knew and hated, I easily can remember him. How could I forget seeing him kiss Max on the porch, while I watched. How could I forget his name? S-A-M. The one person who I ever hated as much as I hate Dylan. In fact, I hate Sam a million times more.

He slowly moves out from behind the table, to where I stand. When he stands just a few steps away from me, I drop the gun, I lunge for him. We fall to the ground, with me on top. The floor shakes.

I punch him in the mouth, as hard as I hard. Max screams and rushes over to us. I continue to punch him, as Max tries to pull me off of him.

"Sam!" she cries.

I stop once the bright red of blood covers my hands, and clothes. I stand up, with a satisfied grunt. She kneels next to Sam, crying. Feeling no sympathy, I pull her to her feet, and drag her out of the room.

I have a difficult time pulling her down the hall, as she struggles against me. Not wanting to waste any time, I grab her, and pick her up. Max lets out a terrified shriek. She tries kicking me, but has trouble doing so.

I carry her to the first floor. For an unknown reason, I bring her to the cafeteria. When we arrive I see Angel, and Ash. Angel immediately jumps up, when she sees us, but Ash remains sitting with her head resting on the table. Somehow, amidst all the chaos, she has managed to fall asleep.

I set Max down in the far corner of the room. Angel, and I stand before her. Max looks more fearful than I have ever seen her before.

"Do you know who I am?" I ask, slowly, and calmly.

"Fang," she squeaks, nervously, as I might harm her.

"Yes," I smile.

I'm about to step forward when the doors on the other side of the room burst open, revealing Sam. In one hand he holds my gun, and in the other he holds the cooler of a young boy. A small girl, clutching a teddy bear, trails directly behind them.

"Do you really want to do this," Sam laughs, cruelly," Do want to go here?!"

I stand, unmoving, not understanding what is going on. Before I can stop him, Sam shoves the boy in front of him, aims the gun, and fires.

* * *

><p><strong>ASH POV <strong>

I gasp, as a loud noise fills the room. My eyes fly open, and my head spins, as I try to see what made the noise. I see a man standing about twenty feet away, with a little girl standing behind him. On the floor I see the body a boy, covered in blood.

"Mommy!" the little girls cries, rushing out from behind him.

She makes it about ten feet, before the man pulls the trigger, killing her instantly. I hear an earsplitting scream come from the corner of the room. A woman, on her hands and knees, crawls towards the two small bodies.

I hold back a sob as I realize that it's my mother. I stand up, and run over to her. She is holding the little girl in her arms, crying, when I reach her.

"Annika," she sobs, rocking back and forth, as she clutches the girl to get chest.

My mother is right in front of me, at last. It is by no means how I ever imagined this moment. I always thought it would be a happy occasion. Never would I have guessed that she would be screaming on the ground, mourning for lost children. As I stand there I realize that the two dead children are my brother and sister. I will never get to know them.

Fang approaches her and tries to pull her away from the little girl. She shrugs him off, and clings to the child even tighter. Angel sinks to the floor and gently pulls the little girl out of my mother's arms, while Fang pulls her to her feet.

She thrashes in his arms, desperately trying to escape. Angel takes off her jacket and lays it over the girl. I continue to stare, unsure of what should do. I watch as my mother screams, and hits Fang, before she suddenly faints.

"Ash," I hear somebody whisper.

I turn around, not knowing who it is. I step back when I see that it's Ian. I don't have time to say anything, because my head feels as though it is exploding, and my world goes black.

* * *

><p><strong>FANG POV<strong>

I watch as Ash passes out. Luckily, Ian catches her. I give him a grim nod, making it clear that while I haven't forgiven him, I'm glad he has come back.

* * *

><p><strong>Am I a terrible person? Was that too much? Cause I just murder two little kids in cold blood. And Max saw it. Don't be afraid to tell me what you think, even if you review about how I am a horrible human being. Now that we've gotten to finding Max the rest of the story<strong> **will fall into place.**

**Just a quick question for you all, did any of you guys realize that Sam was the same Sam from the second book? Cause I actually planned that all along, I just didn't tell you guys.**

**Anyways, PLEASE REVIEW!**

~Lillie :)


	32. Realization

**ASH POV**

"Oh god," I moan, rubbing my head," What happened?"

"Whoa, take it easy," I hear a voice say.

I slowly open my eyes and look around. Ian is sitting at the end of the bed, smiling. I struggle to push myself as close to the headboard as I can. My legs get tangled in the sheets.

"What are you doing here?" I hiss, pulling my knees to my chest.

"I came back," He says.

"What made you change your mind?" I ask.

"Fang found me, and told me that you needed me. He made me realize that I should hear what you have to say first."

"I don't need you," I snarl," And I don't owe you anything."

"I didn't say that you did, and anyways that is beside the point. I came back because I love you, and it's the right thing to do." He says.

"I'm about two seconds away from getting out of this bed, and coming over there, and strangling you, if you don't shut up," I warn.

"What can I do to make you see that I'm not going to leave you?" Ian asks.

"Nothing, Ian," I say," You lost my trust the moment you walked out that door."

"If you were put in my position, would you believe me? Would you stick around long enough for an explanation?"

"You didn't give me a chance," I mutter.

"Fine," He says," I'll give you a chance right now. Are you pregnant?"

"I don't know," I admit.

"See," he laughs, cruelly,"There isn't anything to explain."

"How can I explain something that I, myself, don't even understand" I ask.

"We shouldn't even be going through this. I shouldn't have to listen to you make excuses about how you may or may not be pregnant. You put yourself in a very tough situation, and you're pulling me down with you," he tells me.

"Ugh!" I moan," Did you ever think that maybe it isn't my fault?!"

"Not your fault?" He scoffs," How wouldn't this be your fault?"

"There are things we still don't know about our bodies," I say.

"Ah, yes," Ian yawns," Like virgin avian birth. That's a realistic thought."

"Look, Ian," I growl," Whether you like it or not, this is happening, and there is nothing that either of us can do to stop it. So, you either shut up, move on, and except it, or, you leave and don't bother ever coming back."

"Where is all this coming from?" he asks.

"I don't give a shit about your little idiotic remarks," I huff," Now you need to make a decision."

"I don't know what to do," he says," This whole thing makes me question whether or not I can trust you. You obviously have something going on if you aren't denying that it's impossible for this to be happening if you hadn't cheated on me."

"Why is it so impossible?"I ask.

"Because we've never slept together."

"You're from a different mutation generation, Ian. Your mother and father were both normal. My parents are probably six avian generations ahead of you, which means we most likely have different biological patterns," I tell him.

"I don't understand," he says.

"We don't have the same genetic code. Mine is much more complex and primitive," I explain.

"Are you trying to tell me that you believe you're designed for singular reproduction, like a worm?"He clarifies.

"When you say it like that it sound creepy, but yes," I tell him.

"You've never slept with anybody else?" Ian asks.

"Of course not," I say," I haven't even slept with you. Why would I sleep with anybody? The only person who I love that much is you."

Ian stands up, and walks over to me. He leans down and kisses me. Somewhat relieved, I kiss him back. I pull him down on top of me.

* * *

><p>"I guess I wouldn't mind having a baby," Ian smiles, rubbing my stomach.<p>

"Really?"

"Yes," he nods.

"I'm sorry for not telling you earlier. You shouldn't have had to found out how you did," I tell him.

"It's okay," he says," You were going through a lot, and you had to figure it all out for yourself."

"I love you," I whisper.

"I love you too."

He shifts over, so that his body is touching mine. I smile, and wrap my arms around his neck.

"Ian?"

"Yeah," he says.

"How did I get home?" I ask.

"I carried you home," he tells me.

"You carried me two thousand miles?" I gasp.

"Of course," he says.

"What did Fang say to you?" I ask, in shock.

"Don't you worry your pretty little head about it," Ian laughs.

"Fine," I grumble," But don't think that I'm going to let this go."

"Don't worry, I won't let you," he laughs, leaning in to kiss me.

We break apart when there is a knock at the door. I throw the covers back, and stand up. I look at Ian, who is grinning in bed. I bend over, and pull the blankets off of him.

"Get into the closet," I hiss.

"Why?" he pouts.

"Because, I don't want them to see you!" I whisper.

"Okay," he whines, slowly rolling out of bed.

There's another knock at the door. I quickly walk over to the dresser, and open a drawer. The first thing I grab happens to be a sundress, but it will have to do.

"One second," I call, slipping the dress over my head.

I see Ian standing by the closet, with the door open, staring at me. I give him a serious look, and motion, frantically, for him to get in the closet. He smirks, slowly opens the closet door. I roll my eyes, opening the bedroom door.

"Finally," Angel sighs," Didn't you hear me knock?"

"Um no," I lie," I as in the bathroom."

"I'm sure you were," She says, eyeing the the bed, which is unmade," Is Ian here?"

"Why would Ian be here?" I ask," He a good for nothing jerk."

I hear Ian laugh from the closet. Angel raises her eyebrows, in amusement. I cough to cover it up

"Well," she says, sweetly," Fang was looking for him. Anyways, Max is awake, so I came to find you."

"Okay," I nod," I'll be down in a few minutes. I just have some stuff I need to do."

"I know," she smirks, turning and walking down the hall.

"That woman," I mutter, closing the door.

"A good for nothing jerk," Ian chuckles, walking out of the closet.

"Oh, shut up," I tell him.

"Make me," he says, wrapping his arms around my waist, and kissing me on my lips.

I push him backwards, until his back is pressed up against the window. He pulls back, and smiles.

"What are you doing?" he asks, cocking his head to one side.

"I need to get ready, and you need to go," I tell him.

"I'm not going anywhere," he says.

"Oh, really?" I ask.

"Uh huh," he nods.

"Well, I beg to differ," I smirk, flipping the lock in the window.

Before he can figure out what I am doing, he is already falling backwards out the window. I see the look of surprise in his eyes. His wings snap out, just before he hits the ground. I smile, and close the window.

* * *

><p>After locking the window, I go into the bathroom to brush me hair and teeth. Once I'm done, I take a quick look in the mirror to make sure the sundress isn't too short. I decide that it's length is fine, and I walk downstairs.<p>

Walking into the kitchen I see my mother sitting in a dining chair, with her hands tied to the arms. I begin to walk over, when a pair of arms grabs me around the waist, pulling me back. I struggle to break free.

"Let go of me!" I growl.

"Ash, you need to calm down," Fang says, keeping his grip firm," You don't understand."

"You have her tied up like a prisoner!" I screech," How could you do that to her?!"

"She tried to hurt herself, and us," He says.

"She would never do that," I yell.

"Ash," Fang whispers," The woman you knew is gone."

"I don't believe you," I hiss.

"I'm going to let go of," Fang says, a little to calmly for comfort," And if you try to do anything I _will_ stop you."

I take in a large breath, as he releases me. My mother sits in the chair, watching me with scared, yet curious eyes. As I approach her, she looks as if she wants to run, and hide in a corner. I kneel down in front of her, and take her hands into mine, softly. She flinches slightly, but otherwise remains unmoved.

"Mom?" I croak.

"Anika, is that you?" she asks," You've gotten so big."

"No, mom," I say," It's me, your daughter, Ash."

"But Anika is such a pretty name," she tells me," Why would you change it?"

"I'm not Anika," I repeat.

"Your father won't be happy about this," she sighs.

"My father?"

"Yes," she smiles," Sam."

"No, mom," I say, slowly, so that I'm sure she understands," My father is Fang. Remember."

"From the Flock?" she asks.

"Yes!" I cry, happily.

"I always wanted to meet them," she sighs, sadly.

"But you're in the Flock," I tell her.

"Me?" she laughs," That is ridiculous. Wait until your father hears this. He'll have a good laugh over it."

"I'm not Anika," I insist.

"I know who you are," she snarls, tearing her hands out of mine," You're Max II! You've come to kidnap me again!"

"No, mom-" I say.

"FANG!" She screams, beginning to squirm in the chair.

Fang walks over, and she instantly calms down. Her gets onto his knees, and protectively pulls her into a hug. She sniffles, softly.

"It's okay," He whispers," I'm here."

"Why did you leave me?" she asks, starting to cry," I looked for you, and I couldn't find you."

"I know," he says," I shouldn't have left you Max, I'm sorry."

This seems to set her off. One second she is crying into Fang's shoulder, and the next she slapping him across the face, hard. She goes from being so scared, and afraid, to being angry and hateful in a matter of mere seconds.

"What was that for, Max?" Fang asks, clutching the side of his face that she slapped him.

"My name is Jennifer!" she screams, angrily.

Fang looks over at me, and nods. I can see that he was right. She isn't the same mother I knew and to control myself, I dart up the stairs, to my room. Once inside I lock the door, and crumple to the floor, in tears. Why did I ever think that she would be my mother again? If she was still my mother, she would have escaped, and found me.

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, there is a knock at the door. I refuse to budge. Whoever it is will have to go away. I don't want to see anyone right now.<p>

"Ash," Ian says through the door," Open up."

"No," I cry.

"Please," he begs, desperately turning the door handle, in the hope that it will open.

After a few minutes of begging, and coaxing, I break down, and let him in. He picks me up, and walks me over to the bed. He pulls me into a tender hug, which I don't return.

"Let's do something," he says.

"Like what," I sniff.

"I'll take you out to dinner," he tells me.

"Fine," I mumble.

He then reaches into his pocket and pulls something out. I have no desire to look. Only when he puts it into my hand do I know what it is. He's given me a pregnancy test.

"How about we do this now, and then I'll take you out for an early dinner, and then when we get back we can look at it together," he says.

"Okay," I nod.

"Great, now lets get you changed."

* * *

><p>We eat dinner in silence, which doesn't bother me much. Though I can tell that it makes Ian uneasy. He reaches out to take my hand. I don't particularly care, but I also don't particularly enjoy, or want it. I continually replay my mother screaming from the chair. I know that that moment will haunt me forever. She used to be my mother. Now she is just a body, with a brainwashed woman stuck inside, unable to escape.<p>

Dinner flies by slowly, yet quickly. I don't pretend to care, it's all the same to me. On our drive back home, Ian attempts to make conversation, but I ignore him. Eventually he turns to the radio for comfort.

As we pull into the driveway, I try to pull myself together. I make Ian ahead of me, so that he can make sure that my mother isn't anywhere that I can see her. I don't need any reminders that all my years of hard work were for nothing.

Once I get the all clear sign from Ian, I step out of the car, and slowly walk up the steps of the house. I go straight to my room, and undress. I notice that Ian is a little bit uneasy, and I know why. He's waiting for me, so that we can look at the pregnancy test.

I tell him to go get it from the bathroom which gives him a chance to look at it first. I take it from him, slowly. Suddenly, everything else fades away. All that matters right now is the pregnancy test.

I take a deep breath, before I look. I look down at the little stick in disbelief. The only thing I can manage to do is gasp.

* * *

><p><strong>How was that? Did I leave you with a good cliff hanger? Anyways, after reading that, I have some questions for you guys.<strong>

**1) What is one thing that needs work? **

**2) What has been your favorite seen so far? **

**3) What song would you choose to be the theme song for Ash: A Maximum Ride Novel? **

**4) What is one thing you want to happen? **

**5) What is one thing you would have me go back and change in the story? **

**6) What is your favorite chapter?**

**Please help me by answering those questions! Also, please review! I read each and every single one, and I use them for future ideas.**

**~Lillie :)**


	33. Waking Up

**ASH POV**

I gasp. Right in front of me is the answer I've been searching for. Negative. I'm not pregnant. My heart drops. I now realize how much I wanted a baby. Ian sits down next to me. Tears begin to form, as he wraps his arms around me. All I do is continue to sit, completely still. I know he can tell that I'm heartbroken.

"We can have a baby, if you want," he whispers, soothingly.

I guess he's right. Just not right now. There's too much stuff we have to figure out. I don't think I could handle a baby right now. Especially while I'm grieving for the baby I was never even pregnant with.

"What made you think you were pregnant?" Ian asks.

"I kept getting sick. And I haven't felt good in a ling time."

"Oh, honey," he says,"Why didn't you tell me that you were sick?"

"I'm not sick," I cry.

"Well something is clearly going on then," he concludes.

"Maybe I'm just stressed out."

"No. You never get sick. How long has this been going on?" he asks.

"Just let it go, Ian," I grumble.

"Ash, what if this is serious, and you're ignoring it? When you think about it, we don't know what sort of medical problems you might have, since your chemical and biological make up is much different than mine," he continues.

"Ugh," I moan.

"What," he says, alarmed," Do you not feel good? What hurts? Are you okay?"

"Give it a rest," I whine, as a sudden wave of nausea hits me," If I have to hear one more thing about my anatomy I'm going to puke. Then again, I might puke anyways."

He pulls me off the bed, and helps me into the bathroom. I barely make it to the toilet. Ian (of course) holds my hair back for me, which I'm very thankful for. Once I'm done Ian walks me back into the bedroom, and dresses me in my pajamas.

"Can I ask you a question?" I ask, as he pulls the the covers over us.

"Of course," he says.

"How did your mom explain everything to you?"

"You mean the whole wings thing?" he clarifies.

I nod, scooting closer to him. He pulls me to his chest, and wraps his arms around me. There isn't anything in the world that makes me happier than listening to the sound of his heart beat.

"I suppose she never really explained it fully," Ian sighs," She had my grandfather for that. He was always there while I was growing up. It's actually funny that you ask, because I realize now that they always made it seem as if we all had wings, but it wasn't something we were allowed to talk about. Maybe I just assumed that everybody was the same. What about your mom?"

"She told me that we were special, and that our wings were something we had, which nobody else knew about. She forbid me to ever speak about them outside of home. I remember this one time when I was about five I asked if I could show an old woman my wings. My mother quickly covered by saying that it was part of my Halloween costume. I'll never forget the pinch I got for talking about my wings in public, but I can tell that I never did it again," I tell him.

"They both were single moms," he tells me," I just remembered that."

"Well, not really. Your mom had your grandfather, and my mom had my Aunt Sophie."

"Whatever happened to Sophie?" he asks.

"Maybe I'll tell you another time," I yawn, snuggling closer to him.

"Alright," he sighs reluctantly.

And with that he turns out the lights. Just before the lights flicker out I see a look of sadness. He thinks that I don't trust him. But I've learned that there is a time and a place for everything, and lying in bed with him, while we both try to comprehend the days event is not the opportune moment.

* * *

><p>"Good morning," I yawn, rolling over.<p>

I feel for Ian, but I find that he isn't there. I open my eyes, hoping to see him. Before I have the chance to look for him, there's a knock at the door.

"Every time," I think.

I groan and roll out of bed. I walk over to the dresser, and pull out a robe. I tie a bow with the ribbons as I walk towards the door. There is another (slightly more urgent) knock at the door. I twist the handle, and pull the door open.

Angel stands, leaning against the edge of the doorway, gasping for breath. Her eyes widen as she sees me. I tilt my head to one side, giving her a confused look.

"Jennif- Max is asking for you," she chokes.

"For me?"

"Yes," she nods," She's refusing to to talk to anybody but you."

"You mean she asked for the insane, in denial, emotionally compromised girl who she rejected to come and talk to her," I say, rolling my eyes.

"No," Angel tells me," She asked for her daughter, Ash."

I need no further coaxing. Within a split second I am flying down the stairs, towards the kitchen. I nearly trip and fall, but I don't care. I rush into the kitchen. She sits in the sane chair as yesterday, only this time she has nothing binding her wrists. Her eyes light up, and she smiles.

"Ash,' she whispers, happily.

I run over and throw by arms around her. She laughs, hugging me back. Her hands tenderly stroke my hair, smoothing it down. She pulls back.

"My baby," she smiles.

"Mom," I whimper.

"Shhh," she sooths, pulling me back into a hug, and rubbing my back.

"You didn't know who I was yesterday," I sniff.

"I know," she tells, calmly," I can't control it. It's like having another person living inside my body. She isn't me."

"But the little kids-" I start.

"They were mine," she interrupts," And I loved them. I still love them. I will always love them."

"You said she was another person."

"No," she says," I said that she isn't me, but I'm her. I am still the mother of those children."

"I'm so sorry."

"There isn't anything you could have done anything, honey," she assures me.

"I could have stopped that man," I say.

"He is- or should I say was my husband."

"Husband," I cough," You were married to him."

"Yes, Jennifer was," she says," I haven't been myself in a long time."

"How long?"

"Eight years."

"Mom, what happened when they took you?" I ask.

"I don't really know," she admits.

"Do you think you'll ever remember?"

"Maybe one day," she smiles, pushing a lock of hair behind my ear," And when I do you'll be the first to know."

* * *

><p><strong>Was that a good ending? To the chapter I mean. Don't worry. But was it good? Also if that were the last chapter how would you feel?<strong>

**Anyways, please review! And tell me what you think!**

**Questions: **

**1) Who is your favorite character in the story?**

** 2) What are your predictions?**

** 3) Are you upset that Ash isn't pregnant?**

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

**~Lillie :)**


	34. Trip

**ASH POV**

"You ready?" Ian asks, shoving his backpack into the back of the car.

"Ready to spend the weekend with my parents who haven't seen each other in twenty years, and my husband who can't stop kissing me?" I interpret," Um, no."

"It will be fine," he laughs, throwing his arms around me.

"How did I get sucked into this?" I groan.

"I don't actually know," Ian admits.

"It's every girls dream to spend two whole days in the middle of the woods with her multi personality mother, and her socially awkward, newfound father," I sigh.

"That's the spirit!" Ian exclaims, with a sarcastic enthusiasm," Keep that attitude up and this weekend will never end! And we'll be stuck in the woods with you star-crossed parents!"

"Not helping," I mutter.

"I vowed to be there in sickness and in health, whether we were rich or poor," he says," I never vowed to be peachy about living in a tent with the man who tried to murder me when he found out that I was married to his daughter."

"Shut up and get in the car," I tell him," We have a long drive ahead of us, and my parents already left."

"Because it's going to take them two days to fly from Seattle to Lake Mead."

"They have some catching up to do," I say, getting into the drivers seat of the car.

"Right," Ian scoffs, as he closes his door," They have "catching up" to do."

"What are you implying?" I ask.

"You know perfectly well what I'm implying," Ian says.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that," I shutter, starting the car.

"Pretend all you want," he laughs," You know it's true, you just won't admit it."

"Its going to be a long drive isn't it," I moan, pressing my forehead against the steering wheel.

"Yup!" he beams, happily," A long and honest one."

"Why did I ever agree to this?" I ask, pulling out of the driveway.

"Again, I don't know," he says.

"Angel!" we cry in unison, after an awkward moment of pondering.

"I'm going to kill her," I mutter.

"You'll have to wait until the rest of the Flock comes," Ian tells me.

"I don't care if I have to wait an entire century," I growl," Angel is going down."

"Violence," Ian smirks,"Is never the right answer."

"Not being on your wife's side," I say sweetly," Is not the way to get you wife to sleep with you."

"Damn!" Ian mutters, lightly pounding his fist on the dashboard," How will I ever make it up to you, my dear, Ash?"

"There is nothing you can do that will make me forgive you," I sigh, as we pull onto the freeway.

"There must be something," Ian whines, pressing his palms together as if he's praying.

"Well there is this one little thing," I admit.

"Whatever it is I will do it," he says.

"Anything?" I question.

"Anything," he confirms.

"You promise?" I continue, just to drag out his suffering.

"I promise," Ian insists.

"Alright," I say," But don't say that I didn't warn you."

"Just tell me!" he exclaims, impatiently, bouncing up and down in his seat.

"You can never mention my parents sex life again," I tell him.

"Done." He says, without hesitation.

"And..." I go on.

"And?" he squeaks, nervously.

"You have to introduce me to you grandparents," I finish.

"Oh, come on," Ian groans," I can't introduce you to the man who is your mothers sworn nemesis."

"You can," I tell him," And you will."

"I won't do it," he says.

"Okay," I sigh," I guess I won't be trying to talk my mom into switching tents with me."

"What?!" Ian cries," You were going to do that?!"

"Key word: _was_," I say.

"Fine," he grumbles," You can meet my grandparents."

"And your Aunt Mérián,"I press, glancing over at him.

"And Aunt Mérián," he agrees.

"Great!" I exclaim, happily.

"You win," Ian mutters, frowning.

"Oh, don't look so sad," I tell him," At least you won't have to spend the weekend sharing a tent with Fang."

* * *

><p>"Ian," I whisper, shaking his shoulders slightly.<p>

He is immediately alert, and sitting upright. Ian whips his head around, as if he's searching fro danger. His gaze falls onto after a few moments.

"What's wrong?" he asks.

"Nothing," I yawn," I was just wondering if you could drive."

"Oh," be sighs, relieved," Of course I'll drive. Why didn't you wake me up sooner?"

"I felt bad," I explain," But then I started to doze off, which is why I woke you up." "You don't have to feel bad about it," he smiles, arching his eyebrows in amusement," I wouldn't want you to wrap our car around a tree just because you wanted to let me sleep."

I bite my lower lip. I hate how he always tries to make it seem like I shouldn't be ashamed. All I wanted to do was let him sleep, and yet he somehow interpreted it as me feeling guilty. While he is slightly correct, my feelings of being too embarrassed to ask for help aren't nearly as bad as he believes them to be.

"Okay," he says," Let's switch seats. I'll drive."

"Thanks," I mumble, unbuckling the seat belt.

We both open our doors and get out. I walk around the the other side of the car, where Ian is waiting with his car door open. Before I can reach him, a massive wave of nausea hits me. I run over to the guardrail, and empty the contents of my stomach. From the corner of my eye I see Ian rushing over to me.

"Ash," he says, putting his hands on my shoulders," Are you okay?"

"No," I groan," It happened again. I don't understand."

Tears begin to well up in my eyes. He pulls me into a tight hug, and starts rubbing my back. Unwilling to fight back my feelings anymore, I let the tears fall. He holds me a little tighter.

"It's going to be okay," he tells me.

"How do you know that?" I ask, pulling back.

"Because everything always turns out good in the end," he says.

"For normal people, Ian!" I cry, taking a few steps back, beginning to lose my patience.

"We are normal."

"No we're not!" I yell," Look around you! We're in the middle of nowhere at one in the morning, trying to drive to Lake Mead for a camping trip with my parents, who have wings! And I have them, and you have them! Nothing about our life is normal, and it never will be, because there will always be somebody who wants to kill me, or my mom, or you, or the Flock. And none of this will ever end. This is just the beginning of the rest of out amazingly screwed up lives."

"Oh, Ash," he whispers, taking a small step towards me.

"Don't," I tell him.

"We can get over this," he says.

"No, Ian, I-," I start to say, before another wave of nausea hits me like a million bricks, going at a million miles per hour.

I falter. I feel something deep inside me move. He steps closer, but not close enough. I feel myself hit the pavement, before he can reach me.

* * *

><p>I groan, trying to use my hand to block the sunlight from hitting my eyes. I turn onto my side, when I realize I can't stop the sun from hitting me. I try to fall back asleep, but after a few minutes I give up, and let my eyes flutter open.<p>

Ian sits in the drivers seat of the car. I watch as he momentarily takes his eyes of the freeway in order to take a sip of coffee. He starts to hum, as he sets the coffee cup back into the drink holder. I let out a groan, and reach my arms up to stretch.

"Good morning," Ian says, not taking his eyes off of the road.

"What happened?" I moan, reaching my hand up to touch my throbbing head.

"You don't remember?" he asks, seeming surprised.

I concentrate for a moment. I let out a gasp as it all comes rushing back. Me being sick, the fight (which I started), and me passing out. It suddenly makes sense. No wonder I have a massive headache, I hit my freaking head on the freeway.

"I see you remember," he laughs, softly.

"I'm really sorry," I say.

"It's okay," he tells me.

"No it's not," I groan, feeling extremely guilty.

"Honey," he say, looking over at me," It's completely fine. You're stressed, I'm stressed. Don't blame yourself."

"Okay," I mumble, slightly unbelieving.

"Now," he smiles, happy that I've moved on," I got you something to eat."

"I don't need anything," I tell him," I'll just throw it back up."

"True," he agrees.

"Where are we?" I ask looking out the window, at the unfamiliar scenery.

"We're about ten miles away," he says.

"Ten miles?!" I cry, in shock," Why didn't you wake me up?!"

"Why didn't I wake you up?" he asks, giving me a sideways look," Are you serious right now?"

"I guess not," I say, realizing that it was a stupid question to ask.

"Good," he tells me," Now, we'll be there in a few minutes."

"Okay," I yawn," Are they already there?"

"Yeah, I talked to them about an hour ago," he tells me," Um, Ash?"

"Uh huh?"

"I've been thinking about this a lot recently," Ian says," Can I ask you a question."

"Of course," I nod.

"Your mom lived a normal life for eight years, and she never noticed that she had wings, which seems really weird. Do you think the story she told us is true, or do you think she made it up," Ian asks," Not that I think she's working with the School or anything, but it just seems highly suspicious to me."

"You're right," I tell him," That is odd. She lived all those years normally, and yet she had wings."

"Maybe Sam messed her brain up," Ian says.

"Maybe," I agree.

"In any case, we're here," Ian announces.

* * *

><p>"See, this isn't so bad," I whisper, as I lean against Ian's shoulder.<p>

"Okay, you were right," Ian admits, shoving his marshmallow stick into the fire," This isn't so bad."

"I'm glad you feel that way," I say," Cause my mom wouldn't agree. She wants to sleep in my tent."

"What?" Ian whines," You promised."

"Not true," I tell him," I said I would try."

"Fang's going to kill me," Ian groans.

"I tried," I smirk, kissing his cheek.

I stand up, and quickly walk over to my mom's tent, so that he can't follow me. Before I zip the tent closed I glance back at him. Fang awkwardly sits on the other side of the fire, directly across from Ian. I let out a small laughs. He's right, Fang probably will kill him.

"Goodnight," I call, sweetly.

"Goodnight," Ian mutters back.

"See you in the morning," Fang says.

I zip up the tent, and slowly move over to my sleeping bag. I try my best to be quite, since my mom is already asleep. I freeze as she shifts slightly. The sweater she's wearing moves up just enough so that I can see her stomach. I remember her stomach always being perfectly flat, but now it protrudes slightly outward. I let out a small cry, before I'm able to stop myself.

She sits up, in shock. I can see that I've scared her, from the look on her face. She looks at me with wide eyes.

"What's wrong?" she asks.

"You- you," I stutter," You're p-pregnant."

She looks down at her stomach. She sees that her sweater is yanked up to her ribs. By the way she pulls her sweater down i can tell that she's embarrassed. She swallows loudly, and nods.

"How far along are you?" I ask.

"Five months," She says.

"Oh my god," I whisper," Is it Sam's baby?"

"No," she tells me.

"Then whose is it?" I ask.

"I don't know," she admits, regretfully.

I sit in my sleeping bag wide mouthed, and unbelieving. My mom is pregnant. She never said anything about it.

"Sam told me that it wasn't his baby," she explains," But I'm pretty sure I know whose baby it is."

"You do?" I gulp, nervously.

"Yes," she nods.

"Whose?" I ask.

"Dylan's."

* * *

><p><strong>Let me just start by apologizing for always asking questions. I use them to take a temperature check, and fix what I need to work on. Believe it or not, they really help me. So, <em>FlyOnMax<em>, I apologize, I admit that I do go overboard.**

**I would like to announce that on May 17th (2013, duh) I will be posting the final chapter of ASH: A Maximum Ride Novel. If you're asking why I chose that date, it is because that is the two year anniversary of the first chapter of ASH being posted. Two years! While it has been amazing to have Ash transition schools with me and go through two important years of my life, it is time to move on. I'm not saying that this is goodbye (if you know what I mean *cough cough**hint hint*). I love Ash dearly, and I love all of you for sticking by me for so long. So I would like to say thank you. In the final chapter I will be mention all the names of those who have helped me, and I will be individually thanking each and every one of my reviewers (and there are a ton of you guys), so look out for your names! Just as a hint, if you've been reading Ash and you haven't reviewed, this is a great time to be acknowledged. I'm also going to award reviewers for certain things. Here are the categories: **

**Funniest Reviewer **

**Most Consistent Reviewer**

** First Reviewer**

** Most Helpful Reviewer**

**Most Enthusiastic Reviewer **

**Best Last Minute Reviewer **

**Best Long Term Reviewer **

**Partner In Crime Reviewer**

**Most Thought Provoking Reviewer **

**Best Original Idea Reviewer**

**Reviewer With The Most Reviews **

**I may add a few categories, but that's all I can think of for now. You guys can suggest categories too.**

**As always, please review!**

**~Lillie :)**


	35. Sophie

**_TO CLEAR UP CONFUSION: THIS CHAPTER TAKES PLACE FIFTEEN YEARS AGO AND IT EXPLAINS WHAT HAPPENED TO SOPHIE. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE ASK THEM IN A PM OR A REVIEW AND I WILL ANSWER THEM IN THE AUTHORS NOTE OF THE NEXR CHAPTER OR IF YOU SENT ME A PM I WILL PM YOU BACK THE__ ANSWER._ Sorry, I accidentally deleted the chapter. PLEASE REVIEW! I WORKED VERY HARD ON THIS CHAPTER AND IT'S VERY LONG! I had a very tough time writing this. I'd really appreciate it!**

**MAX POV**

"Time to get up, baby," I whisper, sitting down on the bed next to Ash, and rubbing her back.

"No, mommy," she whines.

"Yes," I say," You need to get up if you don't want to be late in getting to the zoo."

"The zoo!" she cries cry, sitting up.

"Uh, huh," I nod.

Ash had been begging me to go to the zoo for over a year, and I finally broke down. If it had just been Ash I wouldn't have caved. However, that wasn't the case. Sophie and Ash teamed up, and made my life a living hell. They would bug me everyday, every moment possible. The things those two can do when they work together is amazing. I don't doubt that they could solve any world problem with the snap of their fingers.

Ash smiles brightly. I feel a slight tug in my chest. The way she looked at me before this moment makes me feel like a bad mother, because I denied her something which was so trivial to other children. But what can I say? I was raised in a cage. Seeing other living beings imprisoned doesn't exactly bring back memories from the good old days. Ash, of course, was too young to know about my childhood, so I basically was just one big controlling party pooper to her, and to Sophie for that matter. Until they live in a cage I doubt they will understand.

Before I can say anything to coax Ash out of bed she is already across the room rummaging through her drawers. I laugh. I know that within the next ten minutes she will have already gotten dressed, eaten breakfast, gotten her shoes and coat, and started asking when we are going to leave. I leave her, and walk down the hall to Sophie's room.

"Soph," I call, knocking on the door.

"Come in," I hear her say.

I twist the knob, and push the door open. She sits on the the bed, still dressed in her pajamas. I can see dark circles through the rims of her glasses. I can tell that she only just fell asleep. I instantly regret waking her.

"Oh, Soph," I whisper, walking over to her.

I sit down on the edge of the bed, and pull her into my arms. She wraps her arms around my waist. I hear her sniffle a few seconds later, which tells me that she's begun to cry.

"What happened," I ask, smoothing down her hair.

"Matty," she sniffs.

"Oh, sweetie," I say," What did he do?"

"He called last night," she cries," He told me that it was my last chance to come with him to Antarctica. But I know that he isn't telling me the truth. Something isn't right. Why would a Organic Chemistry major be going to study icecaps when he was offered a position as a professor at Yale, which is all he ever wanted?"

"I don't know," I admit.

Sophie was right, it did seem odd that Matty continued to be so insistent that she move to Antarctica with him. It was especially weird considering that Sophie was a doctor, not a scientist. What could she really offer a team of Arctic researchers? She wasn't trained in anything besides the medical field. Yes, Sophie was a doctor, but the thing is she isn't a government doctor, so she would never be allowed to join a government research team. All of this brings up a big question; how does Matty, someone who just graduated from college with a degree which has absolutely nothing to do with Antarctic icecaps, have enough authority and position to recruit expedition members to a government only project?

"It's almost as if he's trying to protect you," I tell her.

"Protect me?" she squeaks," What is there to protect me from? It's not as if I have a dangerous job which puts me in danger."

"It depends on how you look at it, Soph," I say," You are putting yourself at risk with your work."

"How?" Sophie snorts incredulously.

"You see crazy people every single day at work," I tell her.

"Yeah, I guess," Sophie sighs," Matty isn't crazy. Something is going on, he just won't tell me."

"Maybe its not important," I tell her.

"Maybe-" she starts to say, before Ash bursts into the bedroom, hurdles herself onto the bed, and begins to spastically jump up and down.

"We're going to the zoo!" Ash cries, ecstatically.

When she doesn't get a response from either of us, she stops jumping and glances back and forth between Sophie and I. Her face falls. Ash knows something isn't right.

"What happened, Mommy?" she asks, plopping down beside us in the bed.

"Nothing," Sophie lies, wiping her tears with the sleeves of her pajamas," Auntie just had a bad dream, and Mommy was making me feel better."

I give Sophie a small, appreciative smile. She sniffs a little, but the tears luckily don't resurface. I can tell that it takes every ounce of will power for her to not resume crying. Although Sophie is beyond strong, she can still be a little bit sensitive, especially when it comes to emotions. I shift my gave from her to Ash, who seems to accept her brief explanation without a single question. Ash smiles, throwing her small arms around Sophie's shoulders.

"Mommy always can make you feel better," she says.

"I know, she sure can," Sophie laughs, softly, returning the hug.

Sophie stands up, still holding Ash. She shifts her onto one hip, and begins to walk towards the closet. I watch as Ash leans over and whispers something into Sophie's ear. Sophie laughs, shaking her head. I continue to watch them. It's times like these that make me happy about my decisions. I know that if I had stayed with the Flock Ash would never have the chance to live a normal life. She would instead live a happier cage free, mad scientist free version of my childhood. And while that would be great, I've never wanted that for her.

I decide to leave them alone together. I walk downstairs to the kitchen, where I find Ella sitting at the table. Ella stares blankly out the window. She has one hand resting on her belly, while the other is placed against her chest. Tears run steadily down her face. I falter, unsure of what I should do.

For once I feel completely helpless. I've never lost a child, so I don't know what it feels like. I can, however, only imagine what it would be like to carry a baby for nine months and watch as your child comes into the world small and lifeless. Ella may not have made the smartest decision by running away, but she would have been a great mother. It hurts even more because her stomach hasn't flattened back, and she still looks pregnant.

"Are you heading back today?" I ask, cautiously.

She looks over at me, and barely nods. A million different emotions are displayed on her face. Sadness, worthlessness, hopelessness, loneliness, yearning, regret, envy, eagerness, pain, weariness. I don't know how she hasn't given up. I may be strong, but if I were in Ella's position I know that I wouldn't be able to see a way out.

"Will you ever tell him?"

I can instantly tell that I shouldn't have asked. Those five words bring her crashing down. She stands, and runs from the room. A few moments later I hear the door of her room slam. I regret everything I have said, and done over the past six months. Every little fight, or disagreement weighs on me. I should have respected her choice. If she doesn't want to tell him that is her choice. It's not my life she's living. From here on I vow to never mention this again, unless Ella requests for me to do so directly.

Ash and Sophie enter the kitchen, pulling me away from my train of thought. Sophie gives me a curious look, but doesn't say anything. It's not that she doesn't care, it's that we simply don't have time, and she doesn't want Ash to hear. After all, by the time we get back Ella, and everything that ever marked her presence will be gone, and by her specific orders she will not be mentioned again. Nobody can ever know that she was here, not even Ash, who has seen her ever single day for the last few months. It's to be as if she never existed.

Without so much as a word, I walk over to the counter, grab my keys and my bag, and head out to the car. I wait in silence for the next twenty minutes, until Sophie and Ash are ready to go. They both get into the car, and without a word I pull out of the driveway. What is a relatively quick drive seems to drag on painfully slow. We finally arrive, and I find a parking spot. After unbuckling, we get out of the car and head towards the main gates.

"Stay close," I instruct, grabbing Ash's hand, as we cross the parking lot," Don't talk to anybody, don't get ahead of Aunt Sophie and I. If you can't see us we can't see you. Got it?"

Sophie rolls her eyes, and crossed her arms over her chest. She thinks that I'm way to cautious. It's not my fault that I look at everyone as a potential kidnapper. Given my history, I'm only being realistic. The last thing I need is to have Ash taken from me. I make sure to pretend that I don't notice. Ash gives me a quick, and sincere nod, and tugs on my hand in attempt to reach the gates faster.

"Relax," Sophie whispers softly enough so only I can hear," You'd think that we were going to walk through a crowd of child kidnappers."

"You never know," I hiss.

This earns me another rolling of the eyes from Sophie. She's an optimist, I'm a realist slash pessimist. If life were a ship heading into a storm Sophie, the optimist, would say that everything was going to be okay, while I, the realist slash pessimist, would be adjusting the sails so that we would go away from the storm, while I simultaneously announced in despair that we were facing the end and our ship is as good as sunk, and our bodies are essentially dead and buried.

We reach the gates, where we pay for our admission, and grab a map of the zoo. Ash eagerly opens the map and begins listing off what she wants to visit. Within less than ten seconds she has decided that she wants to visit the emus, the orangutans, the gorillas, the rhinos, the sloths, the kangaroos, the lions, the giraffes, the chinchillas, the bats, the falcons, the meerkats, the penguins, the zebras, the wallabies, the squirrels (why do they even have squirrels? We can just go to the park to see those) the owls, the goats, the flamingos, the llamas, the bears, the cobras, the alligators, the yaks, the hyenas, and the tortoises, but that's only her short list. I can already tell that it's going to be the longest day of my life, which is saying something, considering that I've given birth.

I nod in defeat. Sophie nudges me, in attempt to make me act a little happier. All I want to do is to go slam my head into a wall, and not stop until this day is over, which Sophie knows. Judging by how Sophie is squinting her eyes at me I can tell that that is not an option. It's her fault that I gave into to Ash's constant whining, so why do I deserve to be subjected to this torture?

Sophie loops her arm through mine, and pulls me along after Ash. Our first stop is the flamingos. I'm horrified when they begin to jump on each other and proceed to mate in front of us. Sophie and I quickly pull Ash along to the next exhibit. Thankfully we stop to have lunch just as my body is about to break down from exhaustion. Ash shows no sign of being anywhere near done. By the look on Sophie's fade I can tell that she is somewhere in between how I feel and how Ash feels. How she ever manages I doubt I will ever know. This is one of the great mysteries of Sophie.

We finish up and head back into the mass chaos which is known literally and figuratively as the zoo. The crowd bumps us around, pushing us towards an unknown location. I reach behind me for Ash, but my hands come up empty. I whirl around, desperate to find her. I spot her about sixty yards behind, with Sophie less than ten feet further. Sophie tries to push through the crowd, towards Ash. I let out a sigh of relief as she manages to pull Ash to safety.

I shove my way through the wall of people as quickly as I can manage. By the time I reach them, the panic has subsided, and I am able to appear nearly calm. Though I know that Sophie can see right through me. I pay little attention to the furtive glance Sophie gives me. Given the current situation I can't think of a single (at least half decent) mother who would not have been overtaken by anxiety and motherly instinct. I pick Ash up, and walk us over to a bench, where I try not to mull over what just happened. Sophie follows closely behind.

I set Ash down on the bench and give her a good look over. Everything appears as it should be. But how I to know that she hasn't been emotionally traumatized and scarred for life? This is when the realization hits me; me from six years ago would be giving present day me a good slap across the face and told me to stop being such a ninny. I gulp in horror by the use of the word ninny. Pre mom me wold have something much more creative and colorful. Oh god, I've gone soft. Where did the Max I once used to be go?

"Do you want some ice cream?" Sophie asks Ash, pulling me out of thought.

Ash gives a small nod. I reach into my bag, pull out a ten dollar bill, and hand it to Sophie. She shoves the money into her pocket.

"I'll meet you at the otter exhibit," she says, placing a hand on my arm reassuringly.

"Okay," I mumble, taking Ash's hand.

I follow Sophie as she walks towards the ice cream cart. I've just begun slowly steer away from her when the first shot rings out. Everyone around me bursts into fearful scream. I am instantly pushing Ash to the ground, and throwing myself on top of her. I hear another shot, over the loud pounding which fills my ears. Blood sprays across my back. I manage to cover Ash's ears just before there is a third shot. She whimpers, softly.

My breath is short and ragged. Everything inside me screams that I should run. After ten seconds without hearing a gunshot, I lift my head up. Beside me lays Sophie, covered in the bright crimson of her own blood. I stifle a scream, prior to recollecting myself. I order Ash to keep her eyes closed, before I pick her up, and break into a run. I try to avoid tripping over all the other people, who are still pressed flat against the pavement in fear.

I rush out of the gates, past the tellers. They undoubtedly are still unaware of what has just happen. I run across the paring lot, frantically trying to find where I've parked the car. I dig into my bag until I find the key. The car beeps when I press the unlock button, which allows me to locate it. As we get in the car I order Ash to buckle her car seat. I almost cause a car wreck as swiftly pull out of the parking space. I ignore the angry honking of the driver behind me. Police cars whiz by as I speed out of the parking lot. The pay little attention to this, which I know is because they have much more important things on their minds right now. As do I. Although they don't know it, we are all thinking about the same thing; Sophie.

I manage to get home in half the time that it took us to get to the zoo. I tell Ash to grab her suitcase and to pack as many clothes as possible. She obediently runs up the stairs towards her room. I walk down the hall and pull my own suitcase out of the closet. I bring it to my room and fill it with a months worth of clothes. I then go to Sophie's room and get her suitcase. On my way out I grab the photograph on her nightstand. I let myself glance down at the photograph. The picture was taken only a few months before, by Ella. It shows me, Ash, and Sophie sitting on a beach, watching the sunset. This sets me off. Tears begin to well up in my eyes. I push the feelings back down.

I trudge out of the room, and set the suitcase on the couch. I go downstairs, into the basement, and reach behind the dryer. After a few failed attempts, I pull out a dusty zip lock bag, which contains our passports. I go back upstairs and zip it into the outside pocket of Sophie's suitcase. After searching the house and grabbing any pictures and documents that could be used to confirm that I lived here, I go upstairs to check on Ash. She is on top of her suitcase, crying.

"I can't close it, mommy," she cries.

I shush her, and walk over. She slides off the suitcase, and sits on the bed. I zip it up with ease. I tell her to bring it downstairs. She asks about her stuffed animals, and I say that she can put them all in Sophie's suitcase. Once we finish pack, I load our bags into the car. Ash gets in and buckles, and we pull away from the house. I take a glance back, knowing that this is goodbye. The peaceful house in the woods that I have called home for the past six years shrinks gradually , until it disappears all together.

Ash's soft cries fill the car. I feel a twinge of guilt. I should have prepared her better. She's never experienced death. Up until this point she has had a relatively normal upbringing. All the things that worked for don't matter now. I never wanted her to life how I've lived. Her whole life is about to change. The stability she has known and grow accustomed to over the past five years is about to go away. I suppose it's my fault. I should have taught her that life isn't as easy as she was raised to believe it is. While I had to fight for everything while growing up, she has had everything handed to her. I wouldn't call her necessarily spoiled, I would however state that she views the world far to innocently for someone like her.

We drive until we reach the airport. I park the car, and unload the suitcases. I'm not sure what will happen to the car, but at this point I couldn't care less. We head to the terminal, where I intend to buy tickets. I first find a map of the United States, so that I can figure out where we will go. As I scan the map, I find a town located in the middle of nowhere. I need to make sure that nobody would ever think to look for us where we are going to go. I then bring the suitcases over to one of the counters, pick Ash up, and let go of everything that I have been holding in.

"What can I help you with, sweetheart?" the woman behind the counter asks, before looking up.

Her face instantly softens when she sees that I am crying. I would normally give myself a pat on the back, but right now I'm not faking anything. For once in my life I am going to use genuine emotion.

"I need to get to Salt Lake," I cry, patting down Ash's hair.

"Okay, honey, I'll see what I can do," she says, looking back at her computer.

She focuses intently for a few minutes, before she finds what she is looking for. She prints out a pair of tickets, and hands them to me.

"All we have are two first class tickets, and the plane leaves in half an hour," she tells me.

I nod, and hand her my credit card. She runs it, and after it goes through she takes my bags and checks them. The process takes now more than five minutes.

"Hey, Angela," she calls to the the woman who is at a counter about thirty feet down from us," Will you come cover me? I've got to get them through security, before the 794 to Salt Lake City leaves.

The other woman nods, and comes and takes over. Elisa, as her name tag says, leads us through the terminal, towards the security line. She bypasses the entire line, and takes us to the VIP check in. A grim, older looking man sits behind the counter.

"I need you to check them, Carl," Elisa says.

"Why can't they wait in the line, like everybody else," he growls.

"She has a disabled child," Elisa explains.

"Disabled, Elisa, really," he snorts, giving me a suspicious look," That little girl is the poster child of health."

"She's deaf," Elisa sighs.

Carl purses his lips into a tight line. I can tell that everything inside him tells him that he shouldn't trust Elisa. Frankly, I wouldn't believe her either, but right now that isn't important. I don't want to know what will happen if we don't get on that plane. We need to disappear as soon as possible, and this is the quickest way. Carl sighs, and I hand him the tickets, and our passports. He only glances at them for a brief moment, before handing them back. Less than a minute later Elisa is leading us towards the gate.

"I don't know what is going on, or what you're running from, but you keep that little girl safe," Elisa say, when we reach the gate.

"I will," I tell her.

I glance back at her, as we wait in line to board the plane. At first I don't know why I trusted her so easily, but I then realize that it is because she reminds me of my mother. I feel a contraction in my chest. I should be running to my mom, not to the unknown. But I can't face her. Maybe Ella and I aren't so different after all. We both run from the same things.

They take our tickets, and we board the plane. It only takes us a few minutes to find our seats and settle in. I stare at the airfield through the window. How many times do I have to run into the unknown before I can find somewhere that will be my home permanently? I don't want Ash to spend her life in the shadows, always worried that she'll say or do the wrong thing. She deserves so much more than I can give her. Maybe it's time that I bring her home. I know that they would all love her. But would they ever forgive me? Some things can't be forgotten. I push the thoughts away. I'll decide when we get to Salt Lake City. For now I decide to think of a good future, one where we don't have to run, and we don't have to hide.

"Where are we going, mommy?" Ash asks, lacing her small hand through mine.

"We're going somewhere where we'll be very happy," I tell her.

"Do you promise?" she whispers.

"I promise."

* * *

><p><strong>That is the longest chapter I've ever written, and boy was it difficult! And as promised, I will be posting the last chapter on the 17th, so stay tuned! Please review and tell me what you thought!<strong>

**~Lillie :)**


	36. Epilogue

**ASH POV**

I sigh contently. Soft light filters through the walls of the tent, creating a pale orange glow. I stretch out, and roll over. I look at my mother, who still lays soundly asleep. Her face is serene, and peaceful. You can't tell that this is the face of the woman who ran away from all those who loved her, or who had the blood of her best friend splatter across her was murdered before her very eyes. This Max has never seen any violence. She is innocent, and unaware.

However, even in the midst of everything, she has something which I don't; her children. It's horrible to want want something so badly that you feel jealous of your own mother. It's even far worse to have all her sacrifices weigh on your mind. To know that she gave up her entire life so that you could life as normally as possible is irreprehensible . Such things are unforgivable.

Her face crinkles slightly, and her eyes move beneath her closed lids. She must be dreaming. I silently throw back my sleeping bag, and slip out of the tent. The air outside is noticeably clearer, and easier to breath. I spot Fang sitting at the base of the tree, in front of the campfire. I pop back into the tent, and grab my sleeping bag. I silently approach him, and wrap the sleeping bag around his shoulders. He shifts slightly. His eyes flutter open.

"I'm sorry," I whisper.

"It's okay," he groans, using the tree to pull himself up.

"What were doing out here anyways?" I ask.

"Keeping watch," he coughs, as the wind causes a cloud of smoke to blow towards us.

"Why were you keeping watch?"

"Old habits, I suppose," he laughs, picking up a stick, and poking the fire with it.

"Um, okay, I guess," I mumble.

He laughs. I see the skin by his eyes crinkle a little bit. For some reason, the years seem to have been kinder to my mother. You can't see any wrinkles on her face, unless you stare intently for a while. Then again, those wrinkles could be fabricated by the imagination. My mother has also had a comparatively more peaceful existence over the last twenty years. She only had to focus on me, while he has had to raise two girls, and deal with the pressure from the public. He also has had his younger sister in a coma for the past few months. While they have both lived trying lives, I can't help but feel that my mother got the better end of things.

"You have clearly not been trained in the ways of a Flock member," he states matter-of-factly.

"If you mean that I didn't grow up in the woods then yes," I say.

"How did you grow up?" he asks, sitting down on a log.

"You want me to tell you the story?"

He nods. Something in his dark eyes flashes. Perhaps it's guilt, or perhaps it's just a passing curiosity. I sigh, and sit down next to him. My eyes focus on the bright orange of the fire. I let myself slip into reminiscent thought. There are so many things that he wasn't there for, so many times that I needed him.

"After my mom left the Flock, she planned to travel to New York, but she got sick before she could make it. She was so close to dying. I almost killed her, but my Aunt Sophie found her. I was born a few months later. There isn't much to that part of my life. In fact, there isn't much to my life. Aside from the fact that my mom was kidnapped, my aunt was murdered, and that I raised myself, you could say that I had a fairly normal childhood."

I leave out the part about Aunt Ella. That's her secret, not mine. I remember how I didn't understand what happened when I was little. It didn't make sense why Aunt Ella was supposed to have a baby and didn't. That day replays in my mind as if it were fresh. I swear I can still hear Ella's screams filling the house the day that she gave birth. I've only ever seen my mother cry once, and that was it. After everything was over, she came to my room with blood smeared across her forehead, and tears in her eyes, and held me.

"Normal," Fang scoffs," None of us have had a normal childhood."

"Well, mine was normal compared to yours"

"True," he whispers.

"After Sophie was killed, we moved to Wyoming for a few years, and then when I was about nine we moved to Texas. When mom was taken I moved to Florida, and after that I moved to Los Angeles, when I was thirteen. After I graduated I got a job at Disneyland, which was like a nightmare in a dream. And then, you know, the last few months happened, and that's pretty much it," I tell him.

"Wow, you've been on your own a lot," he remarks.

"I guess," I shrug.

"That must have been hard," he says," Always lying about things like parents."

"Not really," I tell him," It was only a little bit more difficult before the Distinguished Emancipation law passed."

"The what?" he asks, confused.

"I guess you never really had to worry about it. Why would two girls want to be emancipated from their billionaire brother?," I laugh," Anyways, it was a law that allowed kids with a 3.7 GPA or higher to become emancipated without a big hassle. The government figured that since kids with high GPAs were the future leaders, which in my opinion is complete bullshit, they should become emancipated, so that they would become independent, and they would be prepared earlier," I explain.

"You're right," he admits," That is shit, interesting, but still shit."

"Yeah, that today's government for you," I chuckle.

"And Ian?" he asks.

"What about him?"

"Your relationship with him," he says," What do you see in him?"

"Being fatherly are we?" I laugh, before I can stop myself.

It was wrong to say, and I know it. I said it as if I blame him for not being there for me. I've always known that it was never his fault, so I don't understand how I could have said something so insensitive. Guilt spreads through me.

"I- I didn't mean it," I stammer.

"I know," he mutters, standing up.

He crosses his arms over his chest, and walls back over to the tree. He brings up one palm and rests it firmly against the bark. His chest heaves as he pants angrily. Moments later I watch in horror as he punches the tree with an astounding force. The noise of the tree being torn apart is ear shattering. He punches the tree over, and over again.

"Stop!" I cry.

He makes no move to listen to me. I rush forward, and throw my arms around his waist, knocking him to the ground. Still angered, and shaken, he rolls over on top of me. His hands pin my arms to the ground. I let out a small gasp. His face has turned red from his lack of breath. We stay this way for far too long, the both of us trying to figure out what just happened. After what seems like forever, he rolls off of me, and stands up. I stay laying on the ground, in the dirt. I eventually push myself off the ground, and brush the dirt off of my body. My mind continues to attempt to process what just happened.

He leans with his forehead pressed against the tree. I walk over, place a hand on his shoulder. He slowly turns around, and looks down at me. I wrap my arms around his waist. He steps back in surprise, but moments letter he lets his arms envelope me, in a warm embrace. I feel as he leans down and gives me a kiss on the top of my head. I lean into him more. In this moment I don't care if he wasn't the there when I was a child. Right now it's as if he's always been there. I feel as if he knows everything about me, even things that no one else knows.

"I need your help," I whisper.

"With what?" he asks, petting my hair.

I take in a deep, collective breath, and then I tell him.

* * *

><p>"Hey, honey," I greet Ian, handing him a cup of coffee.<p>

"Where did you get this?!" he cries, eagerly taking the cup from me, and sipping it, before I can warn him that it's hot.

"Oh, god," I laugh, as he spits the coffee out,"I assumed that you would know that it was hot."

"Why would I, since I assumed that it was cold?" he pants, trying to cool his burnt tongue.

"Anyways," I smirk," Fang, and I, went into the nearest town, and got coffee, along with some bacon, and eggs from a local diner."

"Bacon?" he smiles.

"Yes," I roll my eyes.

"Where is it?" he asks, anxiously.

"In the car," I tell him," We only got back just now."

He hands me his coffee, and sprints towards the car. It's truly amazing what people will do for bacon. I laugh. I don't think that I've ever seen anybody mo e that fast. Within seconds he is out of sight.

"He doesn't know?" Fang asks, coming up behind me.

"No," I say, glancing back at him.

"And Max?"

"I haven't told anyone," I admit.

"Anyone but me," he whispers.

Before we can talk anymore Ian is walking back towards us, with a childish grin on his face. He gives me a quick peck on the cheek, skips off, happily munching on a piece of bacon.

"Well," Fang coughs," I can, um, see why you didn't, um, tell him."

"I think you underestimate him," I say," And it's not that I don't think he could handle, it's that I don't think that he would understand. I don't think anybody other than you would, for that matter."

* * *

><p>"Good morning," I yawn, rolling over.<p>

I look over st my mom. She lays on her back staring at the ceiling of the tent. I can tell that I've startled her, from the way that she has one hand resting on her chest. She takes a moment to recompose herself, and then she looks over at me.

"What's wrong?" I ask, with the concern clear in my voice.

"The other night," she says," I don't want Fang to know."

"Of course not," I tell her," That's your your thing. It isn't my place to go around telling everybody. We all have those things."

"I suppose you have them too," she chokes.

"Mom, what's really wrong?" I ask," What aren't you telling me?"

"It's the baby," she informs me.

"What about the baby? Are you okay?"

"It's nothing like that," she assures me.

"Then what is it?" I inquire, again.

"It's just that I don't feel like this baby is mine," my mother says," With you I knew that you were mine. I knew that you were Fang's. You are us. But with this baby I don't feel anything. It's as if I have something alien inside me, which I can feel, and touch, but I can't know. It doesn't feel like me. And yet, I don't feel it connected to Dylan either. It's as if it's the last thing that keeps me connected to her. The problem is that I don't want to be her, and I'm not her. I was once, but now I'm not. She died when Henry, Anika, and Lewis died. What you saw was the anger, but that wasn't her. I don't know what's happening to me. I do know that whatever it is it has to do with this baby."

"Oh, mom," I whisper.

"I'm sorry that I told you that, I shouldn't have," she tells me.

"No!" I exclaim," I want you to. I want you to tell me everything."

"I will," she promises," But right now we need to get up. The Flock will be here soon, and I don't want them to see like this."

* * *

><p>Ian and I sit at the mouth of the cave. Everything is peaceful. I can feel the last bits of warm sun on my skin, as I rest my head against his chest. We silently watch the rest of the Flock, as they fly around in the sky above us. My mom sits at the edge of the cliff, with her lags dangling over the edge. After a few minutes, Fang descends, and lands next to her. My mom stands up, and pulls him into a kiss. This is the first evidence that I have seen that things are going to be okay between them.<p>

It's almost as if things will go they way they were always supposed to be. Because, while their lives have changed over the years, their love never has. Another thing is that they have me. In a way I'm the proof of their love. I'm them, and they're me. And for the first time it strikes me. This is my family. This is what I was missing all along. I finally know why there was always a feeling of something mussing deep down inside of me. This is it.

"They really love each other, don't they?" Ian asks," After all this time."

"Yes," I whisper, shutting my eyes so that the image of the two of them in each others arms doesn't fade.

He takes my hands into his. His fingers run across the surface of my palms. My eyes open. I let out a small gasp as he pulls me onto his lap. He looks down at me, and gives me a smile. I see a slight twinkle in his eyes. I watch with curiousness, as he slips a hand behind his back.

"Close your eyes, again," he instructs me.

I do as he says. His warm arms slip around me, and slid down to my waist. I feel my wondering grow more intense, but I continue to keep my eyes firmly shut.

"I know that these last months have been difficult for you, and for that I am very sorry. I know that I haven't helped-," he says.

"Ian, you-" I protest.

"No, Ash," he interrupts," It's true, and you know it. I didn't believe you. I should have. When have you ever told me anything but the truth? I know that our first few years together weren't the most honest, but we had our reasons. There were things which couldn't tell each other, for the sake of our safety. And now more than ever I am thankful for that. It makes me believe that we have always been meant to be together, because there is no explanation for how we managed to find each other. I think, no, I know that it was planned. Something in the universe brought us together. While I know that it most definitely wasn't the scientists, I know that it was something, and for that I am more grateful than you'll ever know. I love you, Ash, and I want to be with you for the rest of my life, no matter how long that is, or who stands in my way. I'm going to prove it to you."

I him take my hand, and slip something cold into it. I open my eyes, and look down. In the palm of my hands lays a silver, floral wedding band. I gasp. It's so perfect, and delicate. I look up at him.

"We never gave your family a chance to see you married. And besides, I think you always had something different in mind than how we were married. So, Ash, will you do me the great honor of becoming me wife? Again?" he asks.

I nod, just as I feel the tears start to run down my cheeks. He slips the small ring onto my finger. I lean up, and kiss him. His arms are around me, pulling me closer to him.

When I was younger, I never thought that I would be happy, and now I can see that I was wrong all those years. Nothing could make me happier than starting my life in front of everyone that I love. My family.

* * *

><p><strong>Funniest Reviewer<strong>

Skatzaa

**Most Consistent Reviewer**

Heart Breaking 101

**F****irst** **Reviewer**

Peppermint Rocks

** Most Helpful Reviewer**

Guest

**Most Enthusiastic Reviewer**

Amy Shaar

**Best** **Last Minute Reviewer**

Sater

**Best Long Term Reviewer**

AkitaNeruVocaloid

**Partner** **In Crime Reviewer**

Skatzaa

**Most Thought Provoking Reviewer**

Guest

**Best Original Idea Reviewer**

Heart Breaking 101

**Reviewer With The Most Reviews**

Skatzaa

* * *

><p><strong>Shout out to: 3ThingsWithWings, Heather, PurplePeyton, Heart Breaking 101, Skatzaa, LovePercabeth4eva, Save The Manatee, FlyOnMax, Emsadeum, Amy Shaar, PianoGirl1119, FnickRide03, Iris Hanson, AkitaNeruVocaloid, Idklove3, UnicornPrincess21, xxVampireGirl818xx, StarShineStarLight, fangsallmine1123, Fan Of Show, and CrazyPeanutAttack<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>The past two years have been leading up to this moment, and although there were times I doubted myself I made it. We all made it. I never thought I would finish. Even with all the encouragement it was still a stretch sometimes. But honestly, if you don't have to work hard and you don't struggle then what's the point? Where's the fun in that? All the hard work makes me proud. This has really helped me progress in my writing. If you look back to two years ago it is really visible how crappy it is. And while today's writing is probably crap too, at least I know that it's finished crap. So, if you look back and you wonder why I haven't revised a whole lot you should know that it's because my writing is so horrible that I can't even read it without having to recompose myself, cover my face in pure shame and embarrassment, and want to slap myself. A year from now I probably won't be willing to read this either, but that's just me. Now that I've told you that, let's move on to the more exciting stuff.<strong>

**I am happy to announce that there will be a sequel to Ash: A Maximum Ride Novel. Now it may take a few months for me to outline and solidify the plot, but it will happen. I have started the prologue and the first chapter, and they should be done soon. I've learned from writing Ash that I really need to outline the whole thing first and then write, because if you don't you feel as if you're writing in the dark most of the time. So, if you're interested make sure that you check to see if I've posted anything, or follow me so you get updates. I will be writing for my other stories, so there is no telling how long it will take. Quit honestly, it could take less than a month, and it could take up to three months. Who knows. Just as a teaser I have a little line for you that fits the plot so far:**

** Things were supposed to get better, we were supposed to be happy. So, how did we get here? **

**I will be taking name suggestions for the sequel, so, let's see what you guys can come up with! What title do you think fits that line? Or should it just be a name like Ash, Fang, or Max. If you think the title** **should be a name whose do you think it should be? A better question is what should it be about?**

**Anyways, I thank you for reading. And I apologize that this wasn't the most epic of conclusions. I love you all, and please review. It has been amazing to work with you guys.**

**Life is made up of a series of moments, and while this may have no particular impact, I hope that somewhere out there someone got to feel the same satisfaction, and sadness that I feel now.**

**Love, **

**Lillie Katerina Ride**


	37. SEQUEL

Hey guys,

I don't know if you already know this, but the sequel to Ash is up. There have already been some major events, and cliffhangers. When I say major I mean MAJOR. It's called SOPHIE: A Maximum Ride Novel. Here's the summary:

They were going to have children and grow old together. Everything was finally going to be the way it should have always been. Or so they thought. All Ash ever wanted was a family, and now she has one. But at what cost? Is she willing to keep a dark secret just to keep everything perfect? Even if it will only be for a short amount of time? As Ash and Max soon discover everybody has secrets that they never told anyone. But if you simply keep something to yourself does it make it a secret? Sequel to ASH: A Maximum Ride Novel

PLEASE REMEMBER TO REVIEW!

~Lillie :)


	38. ANNOUNCEMENT

Alright, so it's been a while, but I've come to a decision. I am canceling Sophie. I'm just done. It's not that I don't want to write for it anymore, but I'm just tired of it. This has been going on for almost two and half years. I just don't want the pressure anymore. I was considering adopting this out, but I just don't know. I did have plans to finish this originally, but now I don't really plan on it.

I may end up adopting this out, so if you're interested just let me know. I'm not for sure about this, but if you can show me that you want it, and you have the dedication I will give this to you.

If I don't end up adopting this story out I will post a summary of what would have happened.

I'm at a turning point in my life, and I'm not the same person that I was two years ago (in a good way). This gave me the skills I now have as a writer. I am so grateful to all of you.

Tell me what you want me to do.

~Lillie


	39. Prologue (SOPHIE)

The girl laid back on the bed, as she clutched the letter to her chest. It couldn't be true, it wasn't. He couldn't be gone. They were going to have children and grow old together. Her hands fell onto the soft pages of the book which laid next to her. She sat up, as she pulled the book into her hands, and looked over the words.

_Thanks to a particular circumstance, I alone can write these things, for I alone am able to give the final details, without which it would have been impossible to make the story at once interesting and complete._

She let out a cry, as she hurled the book across the room. It hit the wall with a loud thud. The girl let herself crumple back onto the bed. Sobs began to wrack her body. The words of the book and the letter continued to run though her mind. _Final fall. Fatal flaw. Expectancy. Beloved. Moment. Final details. I alone can write these. Particular circumstance_.

How could this have happened? He promised her that he would come back. He said nothing would happen. He was supposed to be right home. Home. Their home.

She shouldn't have let him go. This was all her fault. If she had just asked him to stay he would have. But she was to selfish. The girl put her own wants above what her heart felt.

There was a knock at the door. She couldn't answer, but whoever it is came in anyways. She looked up to see her mother standing in the doorway, holding the baby. Her mother gave her a confused look, and came to sit next to her on the bed.

"He's gone," she sobbed.

"Don't say that," her mother said," He'll come back."

The girl shoved the letter towards her. Her mother set the baby down on the bed, and took the letter into her hands. Her eyes scanned over the page. She watch through her tears as her mothers face fell. She now knew what her daughter had meant.

"Oh, god," her mother gasped.

"I don't have anything to live for."

"Don't say that," her mother whispered, pulling her daughter into her arms," You have plenty of things to live for."

"Like what?" she cried.

"You have me, and the baby," her mother motioned to the swaddled infant on the bed," And your father. Our whole family needs you. Do it for him."

The girl pulled back, and looked down at the baby. Everything about it was so small and perfect. The child's small fists had escaped the blanket and were flailing about in the air. Moments later there was a small cry. Her mother picked up the baby, and brought it to her shoulder. The cries subsided.

She looked at her mother and whispered," For the baby."

* * *

><p><strong>I know that this was really short, but I think it gives good insight into the future of the story. The chapter after this is longer, so don't worry. I'm not very good at writing things without a POV, but I'm trying to get better. When you work at something long enough it gets easy. If you notice, the Ash chapters got progressively longer, because in the beginning of Ash the longest chapter is about five hundred words, and at the end the longest chapter is four thousand words. Practice makes perfect.<strong>

**Moving on, please review! Also, can anybody figure out where the** **book quote is from? It's a toughie, and you can't just google it. I know where it's from (duh). I'll give you one little hint : aux. Yeah, your clue is aux. But it makes perfect sense if you know what you're looking for.**

**One last thing, please read ****_Life After Clockwork Princess_****_ by_****_TessaCollins_****. It's amazing! If you can't find it by search it, you can find the story under my favorite stories, or you can find ****_TessaCollins_**** under my favorite authors. It's a really great story! And she's a great person! I'd relly appreciate it. If you want some incentive, I'll give ten points to Gryffindor for every person who reads and reviews it! Come on, Harry's depending on you! You can't let Draco win! If you want even more, you get to ask me one question about myself and I will answer it. You guys don't really know much about me. I see those clockwork gears turning inside your head (haha see what I did there?). You can do it and I can answer!**

**Again, please review!**

**~Lillie :)**


	40. Posting Sophie

Hey, so I'be decided that I'm taking down Sophie. As such I'll be posting what I have from that story onto here. I'm not editing them before I do so, which means that they have he original authors noted and errors.

~Lillie


	41. Back to Reality (SOPHIE)

_**NEW POLL UP! WHO DO YOU THINK THE PROLOGUE WAS ABOUT?**_

* * *

><p><strong>ASH POV<strong>

"I'll miss this place," I sigh, staring out at the sprawling city before me.

"We don't have to leave, you know," Ian laughs, wrapping his arms around my waist.

I feel his warm breath on the back of my neck, which makes me shiver. I wish he was right. I don't want to leave. For the past two weeks London had been my home, and I had grown quit fond of it. It was so different from any place that I had ever been before. I know he feels the same way that I do. I turn around to face him.

His lips crash down onto mine, and be pulls me back towards the bed. I fall on top of him. I let myself get caught up in the moment, before reality finally returns again.

"No," I croak," We have to go."

"Please," he begs.

"No," I repeat," We can't miss our flight."

"So what if we do? We could get lost in London, stay here forever," he says," The rest of Europe isn't very far away. Think of all the things that we could do, and see. We can see the world."

"I'd love to. You know I would," I tell him," But we have to go home. Everyone is waiting for us to return"

"But why now?" Ian asks.

"You know why. My mom. The baby. Fang," I explain," I don't want t to miss anything."

"And they'll still be there in a month or two," he insists.

"What if something were to happen, and they were gone in two days, and I didn't get to see them, because I was busy off exploring Europe?" I ask.

"That won't happen," he says.

"How do you know. Our lives have never been predictable. We can't must think the dust has settled just because nothing has happened these last two months. We could be wrong. And if we are, i want to spend as much time as possible with my family," I justify," I've never had a family before, and I don't want to think that just because they're there now that they will also be the two days from now. Anything can happen."

"You're right," he sighs," We should be there. After all you wouldn't want to miss your mom having the baby. In two months you'll have a new little brother or sister."

"Oh, god. Don't remind me," I moan.

"Wow," Ian muses," You're going to me a big sister at twenty."

"Don't laugh, your mom could still have another baby," I tell him.

Redness spreads over his face. He looks truly shocked. But what can I say? I'm right.

"That- that would n-never happ-pen," he sputters.

"I don't know," I say, lettering my voice grow a few pitches higher," She isn't even forty yet."

"She isn't even dating anybody!" he exclaims.

"Since when do you have to be in a relationship to have a baby?" I ask,"Maybe she goes clubbing every night."

"You need to stop talking about this! It's freaking me out!" Ian cries.

"You were perfectly fine discussing this when it involved my parents."

"And you made me promise to stop!"

"I know," I laugh," I just love giving you a hard time."

"You are horrible!" he groans," To think that I actually believed you."

"Who knows," I smile, giving him a wink," Maybe I'm right."

I scurry toward the closet, before he can say anything. I open the doors, and pull out our suitcases. I'm thankful that I had the foresight to pack the night before because something tells me that Ian still isn't completely sold on leaving, and he may continue you to attempt to persuade me that we should stay.

"What if we brought your mom here?" he asks cautiously.

"Not going to happen," I tell him.

"Why not?" he whines.

"She's seven months pregnant," I say.

"But-"

"Ian, stop!" I exclaim," We're going home! Now are you going to help me with the suitcases or not?"

"Fine," he mumbles, taking the suitcases, and pulling them towards the hall.

I don't want to go home, but I do at the same time. I wouldn't miss the birth of the baby for the world, even if my mom would understand. She knows that I still haven't gotten used to the idea. I'm old enough to have a baby of my own.

As if on queue I feel my stomach lurch, and I'm rushing towards the bathroom. I make it just in time. When I'm finished I clean myself up, and walk back to the bedroom.

"Ash, what's wrong?" Ian asks, with a concerned look, from where he sits on the bed.

"I'm just not feeling well," I answer.

"I thought you were over it," he says," You haven't been sick in months. Right?"

I look down at the floor. The truth is that I never did get better. For the last two months I've made sure that whenever I haven't felt well I'm either not around him or I hide it. It has been difficult to make sure he doesn't notice these past two weeks. It was easy to hide it before because of all the I've spent wedding planning, and time he's spent renovating our new house.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want you to worry," I tell him.

"You didn't want me to worry," he repeats in disbelief," You have been sick for months! How can I not worry?!"

"It's no big deal," I assert

"Ash, stop saying that!" he shouts, jumping to his feet," You're sick! And you lied about it!"

"I am not!" I yell back.

"Well, you certainly aren't well!"

"Just let it go!" I cry.

"I will not let it go!" Ian roars," You're my wife! I'm responsible for your health and well being! If anything were to happen to you it would be my fault, and I could never forgive myself!"

I take in a sharp breath. He's only worried about me. This wouldn't be happening if I had just told him. But instead I lied.

"You're right," I whisper, crumpling onto the floor in exhaustion.

"Ash," he gasps, rushing over to me," Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I lie, regretting every word," Just a little tired."

He takes me into his arms, and carries me to the bed. After getting me a glass of water, he gets out his cell phone to make a call.

"Who are you calling?" I squeak.

"The plane," he answers, walking walking towards the second bedroom," I'm telling them that we'll be there half an hour later than planned."

"Oh," I sigh.

Fang had been nice enough to lend us his private get. I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised that he had one. He is a billionaire after all, so it does seem fitting. He even paid for the entire wedding. Although I think it was more of because he felt obligated, and he felt he owed it to me, when if I never said anything to hint at that.

Ian walks back into the room, just as another wave of nausea hits me. I sit up, placing my hands on either side of my body to steady myself. I breath in and out quickly, trying to get the feeling to go away. I gag a little bit.

"Are you okay?" he asks, from the edge of the bed.

"Uh-huh," I moan.

"Are you sure."

"Yes," I croak.

I know that Ian doesn't want to except my answer, but the pleading look I give him changes his mind. He walks over to my side, and takes my hand. Ian presses his lips to my palm, and brings my hand up to rest against his cheek.

"You'll get better," he tells me," I know you will."

I smile at him weekly. I can feel that he's right. I'm not sure how he knows, or how I know he knows, I just know that he's telling the truth.

"I know," I tell him.

* * *

><p>My head leans against Ian's shoulder, as I open my eyes. I feel the slight vibrations of the planes engines through my seat. I stretch my arms out, and yawn. He pulls his headphones out of his ear, and pauses the video he's watching.<p>

"Hey sleepy head," he smiles.

"How far away are we?" I ask.

"A few hours away," he tells me.

"Wow," I say," I slept for a long time."

"Yeah," Ian laughs.

"What were you watching?" I ask, glancing down at his tablet.

"Some news report about how an abandoned underground facility was found on Antarctica."

"It's probably an old bunker," I say," From World War II or something."

"That's what the government thought too," he explains to me," But none of the governments are claiming it, and it hasn't been uninhabited for more than a month or two. There's evidence of a large group living there."

"That's weird," I tell him.

"I know," Ian agrees," What's even odder is the fact that whoever was living there didn't take anything with them when they left. There were even things like lights still on."

"Well," I say," Whoever it was left in a hurry. It's almost as if they were running from something."

"Or someone."

"Anything is possible," I yawn.

"Like you getting more sleep," Ian laughs.

"Definitely," I nod, placing my head back onto his shoulder.

* * *

><p>It's late by the time the plane lands. I am wide awake, despite the darkness, due to the time difference. Ian calls for a cab to come pick us up. Because of how late it is there are almost no cars on the freeway, and we're home with in twenty five minutes of landing.<p>

"Be quiet!" I hiss, as Ian drops the suitcases loudly onto the porch.

"Why?" he asks.

"The Flock!" I whisper.

"Ash," Ian says," This is our house."

"Oh, my gosh!" I exclaim," I completely forgot!"

Ian laughs taking the keys from my hands. He unlocks the door, and picks me up bridal style. I gasp in shock. Everything is so perfect. I never got to see what the house looked like after the renovations. I was only there when we bought the house. Ian was the one who oversaw everything else.

"Nudge, and Angel picked out the furniture while we were gone," he tells me, setting me down.

"I can tell," I laugh.

"Is it that obvious?" Ian asks.

"Yes," I say," But I love it. I couldn't have picked out anything better."

"I hope it's not too neat."

"Only slightly," I smirk," I think we'll have to mess some stuff up."

"I think I can help," Ian smiles, pulling me to him by my waist.

"We should start now," I say.

* * *

><p><strong>Please review! I only got one review for the prologue, which kind of made me sad! Thank you for reviewing emsaduem! I really appreciated it! Please review! I worked really hard to rush mt story planning so I could publish this sooner!<strong>

**Also, please read Life After Clockwork Princess by TessaCollins! If you read it and review it you get to ask me a question! So please do it!**

**Thank you for reading!**

**~Lillie :)**


	42. Fight (SOPHIE)

**ASH POV**

"Ian, we have to go!" I call, standing at the bottom of the stairs," We're going to be late!"

"Relax," he says, coming down the hall," They live like five minutes away."

I sigh loudly, as he descends down the stairs. We could live an hour away and he would still say the same thing. I swear that he has no grasp of the concept of time. He gives me a quick peck on the cheek, and goes to get his shoes.

"They're expecting us, and I don't want to be late," I tell him, as I slip on a pair of black kitten heels.

"We're newlyweds," he laughs," I think they'll understand if we're a little bit late."

"Ian!" I gasp, in horror," That's even worse than thinking about my parents."

"What?" he asks," Thinking about your parents thinking about us?"

I nod. He ponders for a moment before this realization fully registers. When it does I laugh. For the second time ever I've given him an unwanted thought. It's a amazing feeling to turn the tables on him. It's payback for all the times that he's done it to me.

"You're right," he coughs, shaking his head in attempt to erase the thought from his mind," We are late, we, uh, need to go right now."

* * *

><p>We get into the car, and begin our short drive to Nudge's and Brian's. They purposely had us buy a house close to theirs. It takes us less than two minutes to get there. In hindsight, we probably could have just walked, but knowing myself, I most definitely have tripped and twisted my ankle.<p>

Ian helps me out of the car, and we walk up the pathway towards the house. I've barely even knocked on the door, when it flies open, and Nudge and Angel are hugging us. I stiffen in shock.

"Where's mom?" I ask.

"I'm here," she calls, as she slowly descends down the stairs, with her hands clinging to the railing.

I can tell that her stomach has grown bigger in the short two weeks we've been gone. When she reaches the bottom, she has to place a hand on the wall to steady herself. Once she's regained her balance, she walks over and gives me a big hug.

"I missed you," she whispers into my ear.

"I missed you too," I tell her.

She pulls back, and puts her hands on either side of my cheeks. She smiles, as she examines me. Its almost as if she's looking to see if I've changed in the past two weeks. I guess I haven't notably changed, because she lets me go, and begins pulling me towards the kitchen.

It turns out that we were running latter than we though, because dinner is already ready, and the table is set. The rest of the family, which is comprised of Fang, Brian, Kinsey, Mark (sort of), Hannah, Gazzy, and Jori, sit at the massive dining room table. Fang smiles at me. He looks genuinely happy to see me. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Hannah frowning.

"Well," says Nudge," Let's eat! We're having some traditional leek and potato soup in honor Ash, and Ian's recent trip to England, and then for dessert we're going to have some pie."

"That sounds great," Fang says.

"How was England?" Fang asks, as we're finishing up dinner.

"Green," I laugh.

"You'd think given the fact that you live in Seattle you would have gone somewhere warmer," Nudge says.

"And miss all the hot British boys?" I smirk," Never."

"Humph," pouts Ian.

"It's their accents, honey," I sooth," It's nothing person."

"I'll cross England off of our places to visit again," he says.

"Oh, but there's always Ireland," I laugh.

"And Australia," counters Angel.

"Angel!" Mark squeaks.

"What is wrong with all the guys tonight?" Nudge asks," It's not like the English, Irish, and Australian men are so hot."

"Okay," Fangs says, smiling at me," Let's move on."

"Fang always knows what to do," I laugh.

Hannah's head whips around. She shoots me a meaningful glare. I don't what I've done to upset her. She's spent the entire evening with her eyes glued to him. She acts as if someone were going to steal him.

"I'll go get the dessert," I say, still laughing.

I push my chair back, and stand up. Ian makes a makes a move to help me, but I tell him that I'm fine. As I'm about to walk through the doors I see Hannah stand up, and follow me. I enter the kitchen, and walk I've to the fridge.

"Leave my brother alone," Hannah hisses from behind me.

"Excuse me?" I say, turning around to face her.

"Leave my brother alone," she repeats, with the volume of her voice raising.

"It's not like I'm stealing him from you," I snort.

"You don't know a single thing about him!" Hannah suddenly screams.

"I may not know anything about him, but I know things about you!" I shout back, in shock.

I know that she hates me, but this is so uncalled for. What have I ever done to her? I've barely even said two words to her. I've kept my feelings to myself on how Hannah acts. She's always moody, and mean.

"Oh," she sneers," And what is that?"

"That you are nothing but a selfish, spoiled little bitch!"

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Hannah growls.

"Your mom died," I say," So what. You act as if it makes you the center of the universe. Well news flash, princess, just because you have money doesn't make you any more important than the rest of us. In fact now that I think about it, it's not even your money!"

"Don't you dare talk about my mother! You don't know anything about her!" she shrieks, picking up one of the plates of pie off of the counter and throwing it at me.

I duck, narrowly avoiding the plate. It soars by my head, and shatters behind me, sending shards of bright painted ceramic everywhere. When she sees that she missed she picks up another plate of pie and tries to throw it at me. She misses again. Never in all my life have I known someone to actually throw a plate. Honestly, it's childish.

"Hey!" Nudge yells storming into the kitchen,"Do not throw the plates! They were expensive!"

Hannah scowls, and rolls her eyes. I know that her definition of expensive, and Nudge's definition of expensive are very different.

"I don't care if you two fight," Nudge says," But I will not have you destroying my nice china, just because you decided to settle your differences."

I stand completely still, in shock. Even though she's somewhat calm, I can tell that she's angry. I've never seen her this irate.

"And just so you know," Nudge continues," The rest of us are going out for dessert, seeing as you've ruined half of the pies. Let us know when you've cleaned up the house, so we can back. Please try to not break anything else."

Hannah makes a mocking face, and a little sound of annoyment. With that, Nudge turns around and stalks out of the room. I let out a sigh of relief. I'm not sure what came over me, but whatever it was in glad that it's gone. However, apparently Hannah hasn't lost that feeling, because the next thing I know she has crossed the room, and slapped me hard across the face. I hold my reddened cheek all alone, even after the pain has long faded.

* * *

><p>"I didn't mean for that to happen, you know," I say, setting my coffee down on the table.<p>

"I know," Fang tells me," Don't worry about it. Hannah has always had a bad temper.

"I feel really bad about what I said to her," I confess," Especially when I said it didn't matter that your mom had died. I shouldn't have said all those things."

"She'll get over it," he laughs," Honestly though, she needed someone to set her straight. She does need to understand that she isn't better than anyone else."

"But I don't know her well enough to have said all that stuff."

"She'll get over it, and when she'll probably even thank you for it," Fang assures me.

"If she doesn't murder me first," I mutter.

"Hannah would never do that. She's just going through a rough time right now," he tells me.

"So are you," I remind him.

"Yes," Fang agrees," But I grew up going through this stuff, she didn't."

"I'm really sorry," I say.

"It's okay," he tells me," Although this has been a great opportunity to clear up some of this stuff, there's actually another reason I asked you to get coffee with me today."

"And what is that?" I ask.

"I was wondering if you'd like to come to Chicago with me. I haven't told anyone that I was planning on going back, but I was wondering if you would go with me. you could meet Georgia."

"But isn't Georgia-" I begin, slightly confused. S "Yes," he interrupts," But I still want to see her."

"I do too," I tell him," She is my aunt after all."

"She is, isn't she?" Fang laughs, taking my hand," And I'm your father."

* * *

><p><strong>So, I'm not quit sure that everyone knows that the sequel is up, which makes this all kind of awkward, cause here I am writing, and then people are still waiting because I said it would be at least a month. This is really awkward.<strong>

**But anyways, please review! I worked really hard on this, even if it is a bit shorter than I'd like it to be.**

**~Lillie :)**


	43. Letter (SOPHIE)

**ASH POV**

"How did it go?" Ian asks, immediately after I walk through the front door.

"Fine," I sigh," He's asked me to go to Chicago with him, to visit Georgia."

"Why?"

"I think that they're going to take her off of life support soon," I say.

"That's horrible," he tells me.

"I know," I agree," But she's been in a coma for over three months, and it's unlikely that she'll wake up."

"But there have been people who have woken up from a coma twenty years later," Ian argues.

"Ian, I really don't think it's likely."

"Wow," he whispers," What did your mom say about this?"

"Nothing," I tell him," She doesn't know. And you're not going to tell her."

"Does anybody know? Besides me?" he asks.

I shake my head. The only reason I told Ian is that we've already had a few scuffles with the whole honesty thing. I've lied about enough things. And when he finds out what else I've been hiding I don't need him to have other reasons to hate me.

"Okay," he says," I'll make sure that no one else finds out."

"Thanks," I tell him, giving him a soft kiss on the cheek," Now, I have to go to bed. I'm really tired."

"But it's only six o'clock."

"I'm tired, and need to rest," I repeat.

"Are you sure that you're okay?" Ian presses," You don't look so good."

"Yeah," I lie, putting on smile as if I need to prove be it.

"Okay," he sighs," I'll be up in a couple of hours."

* * *

><p>"Good morning," Ian says, setting a plate of eggs down in front of me.<p>

"Good morning," I murmur, picking up my fork, and taking a bite.

"Did you sleep well?" Ian asks.

"Yeah."

I hadn't been sleeping well the last three weeks. Ever since Fang had asked me to go with him to Chicago I'd been really stressed. It was really difficult keeping the whole thing a secret. Last night actually slept well, though.

"Good," he smiles.

He has an odd look on his face. I can tell that he has something to tell me. I've never seen him look like this before. Whatever it is I know that it's important.

"Ian, what's going on?" I ask, cautiously.

"You noticed," he sighs.

"Of course. Now are you going to tell me?"

"I have to," he says," Don't get mad, because I only just got the letter. My grandfather has asked me to see my grandmother."

"Why?" I ask.

"She's dying, and she wants to see me one last time."

"And you have to go all the way to Germany?" I ask.

"Yes," he confirms," Apparently she's known that she is going to die for a while, and she made my grandfather take her back to Germany."

"So you'll be going to Germany?" I inquire.

"Yes," he answers.

"And where will I be?"

"You'll be in Chicago," Ian tells me.

I look down at my plate. I'm not really sure what I should think. I understand that she's his grandmother, and not mine, but I can't help but feel a little bit left out. But at the same time, I feel relieved that he won't be left here all alone. I also am heart broken. When I met her she was so nice, and loving. She treated me as if she had known me my whole life. Elzabeth must have known that she was sick. Why hadn't I noticed? I saw her only a month ago, at our wedding.

"Don't look like that," he says," You are going to Chicago with Fang. He needs you more than I do right now. My grandmother is old, this is to be expected. I'll be fine."

"Are you sure," I ask, looking up at him.

"Yes," Ian assures me, as he pulls me into his arms," And don't worry about me. I'll be back within two weeks. You'll be able to focus on Fang, and Hannah."

"You promise," I whisper.

"I promise," he agrees, letting me go.

I continue to stare at him. I want to tell him so badly. But if I do he'll stay, and I will never forgive myself for not letting him go. His life shouldn't revolve around me. I know that if I don't let him ho I'll be holding him back. And beside, I know what it's like to have someone you love die.

"Ian," I whisper, impulsively wanting to tell him.

"Yeah," he asks.

"I love you," I mouth, at the last moment.

"I love you too."

* * *

><p>I wrap a towel around my body, and step out of the shower. I walk over the mirror and wipe the steam off of the glass. I pull the towel off of my body and wrap it around my hair. By this time, the rest of the steam on the mirror has faded. I look at myself.<p>

It's small moments like these that make me feel connected to my mother. Virtually everything about us is identical, except for out hair of course.

I reach down, and rest a hand on my stomach. Hers is round, where mine is flat. It's still odd to see her pregnant. My body is a mirror image of hers, so it shows me what I'll look like with a round belly.

The phone suddenly rings, startling me. I poke my head out of the bathroom, and look down the hall.

"Ian?" I call down the hall," Are you going to get that?"

I wait for an answer. After a couple of seconds I groan, and grab another towel off of the towel rack. I wrap it around my body as I walk down the hall. I reach the phone just in time.

"Hello?" I gasp out of breath, as I pick up the phone.

"Hey!" Angel exclaims," I thought that you'd never pick up the phone!"

"Sorry" I mumble," I was busy."

"With Ian?" she asks.

"No!" I cry," I was in the shower."

"In the shower with Ian?"

"No, Angel," I growl," I was in the shower alone."

"Oh, to bad," she sighs.

My eyes widen, and my cheeks grow hot. Sometimes I think that she's definitely grown to comfortable with me. It's probably because considers me to be the younger, friendlier version of my mom. The fact that I'm only a couple of years younger than her probably contributed.

"Is there a reason you called?" I ask.

"Nope, I just called to annoy you," I laughs," Yes there's a reason that I called."

"And that is?"

"Can I come over and tell you?" she asks.

"Um, sure," I say, slightly confused.

"Great! I'll be over in five minutes!" Angel squeals loudly.

She hangs up the phone, before i can say anything else. I sigh, and trudge back up the stairs. I don't even have my robe on when there's a loud knock at the door. So much for five minutes.

I walk back down the stairs, and open the front door. Angel rushes into my arms, gives me a big hug.

"Oh, my god," I gasp, stiffening up in shock," What is going on?"

"You have to sit down first," she beams, letting me go, and taking a step backwards.

I roll my eyes, and walk into the living room. She pushes me down onto the couch. She's still smiling like an idiot.

"Are ready for this?" she asks.

"Yes," I say.

"Mark proposed!" she cries, jumping up and down, holding up her left hand so that I can see it.

"Wow!" I tell her," That's great!"

"You're not upset?" she asks.

"Why would I be upset?"

"Because you just got married, and now I'm going to steal your thunder."

"I would never be mad!" I laugh," And anyways, Ian and I were already married, we just got married again."

"Great," she sighs, in relief," Was really worried. He actually proposed while you guys were on your honeymoon, but we wanted to keep it a secret. And besides, I wanted you to be the first person I told."

"I'm really happy for you," I tell her.

"Now that that's settled I have a favor to ask," Angel says.

"What is it?" I ask.

"I want you to be my maid of honor."

* * *

><p><strong>So that was chapter three (technically chapter four). Did you like it? Are you happy about Mark and Angel being engaged?<strong>

**I was also wondering if you guys would be interested in me making an ASH playlist. It would consist of the songs that have inspired me through this, and that I think fit with the story. So let me know if you guys are interested!**

**Please review!**

**~Lillie :)**


	44. Ready to Go (SOPHIE)

**ASH POV**

"Are you sure that you have all your stuff," I ask, handing Ian his coat.

"Yes," Ian chuckles, taking the jacket.

I frown a little bit. I was hoping that he would say no. I really don't want him going. He's far too optimistic for his own good, and he has never seen the things that I have. He doesn't know what the dangers of our world are, he only knows the normal, human world. Anything could happen to him. This is when it strikes me. Both of us are jetting of to visit a dying relative.

"What are you thinking about?" he asks, dropping his coat, and pulling me into his arms.

"Only that it's odd that we're both in the same predicament," I say.

"Maybe it's a sign."

"I don't believe in signs," I pout.

"But I do," he tells me.

I take in a deep breath. He's always believed in signs. Even the smallest coincidences.

"I know that you don't believe in them," he whispers," But it's the only thing that explains us, that and fate."

"I don't believe it," I tell him.

"You may not now, and you may not ever, but as long as I do I have faith that we were always meant to be together, and we always will be."

"What if you don't come back," I whisper.

"Nothing could ever keep me away from you," he says," And I'll be home in two weeks."

He leans down and gives me a hard kiss on the mouth. I close my eyes, and wrap my arms around his neck. As soon as the kiss has begun, it has ended. He ducks out of my arms. I keep my eyes closed. I hear him lean down pick up his coat. Moments later I hear the door close. My lips quiver, as I gasp for air.

I crumple to the ground, as the tears begin to fall. I shouldn't be acting this way. He'll be here when I come home. He'll be the one waiting for me. If anything, he should be the one worrying, not me. I'm about to go somewhere with a man I've only known for a matter of months, and he's going to visit his family.

I lay flat on my back, and open my eyes. I stare up at the ceiling. The various colors of the room surround me in a spinning motion. I try to push then away as they close in on me. They're so close. This can't be good. All I have to do is push them back down.

"Go away," I think," Just go away."

The colors fade as I tell them to, and I'm left laying on the cold hardwood floor. I continue to stare at the ceiling. Eventually I drift off into sleep. When I wake up it's already morning, and I get up to go pack.

* * *

><p>Angel shows up half an hour later. I have to stop packing, in order to help her clean up the water she's tracked in from outside. She somehow managed to get soaked from her walk from her car to our front door. This amazes me since I'm still not accustomed to the random Seattle downpours. Once we finish, she follows me upstairs to help me.<p>

"You'll need your raincoat," Angel tells me.

"Why?" I ask.

"It rains in Germany," she rolls her eyes.

I hadn't even thought about rain. I'm used to Los Angeles, where it rains much less. I didn't think to look up what Chicago weather is like. Weather is really the least of my worries though.

I take the jacket to go along. Angel doesn't know that we're not really going to Germany. The only one who knows that we're going to Chicago is Ian, which is a given, considering that he has been the one helping us lie about our trip. The only reason everyone thinks that Fang is coming with us is because he wants to asks Hans questions. I don't know why they would believe us, but they do. It kind of makes me worry that they've become too comfortable with their stable lives.

It doesn't take long with Angel helping me. She makes everything quick and efficient. Once we're done, we go downstairs to have some coffee. She stands by the couch, and watches me as I prepare it. Her eyes don't miss anything.

"Is something wrong?" she asks.

"I'm just a little bit sick," I lie.

I'm sick so often that she probably won't even think twice about it. They pretty much just accepted that I'm sickly. I'm not actually sick that often, but they don't know that, and my mom probably thinks that I became this way.

"Are you sure that you should be going?"

"Of course," I say.

"If you aren't feeling well you shouldn't go," Angel insists.

"I'm fine," I tell her.

She rolls her eyes, and lets out a long sigh. Angel falls backwards onto the couch. I give her a confused look. Why is she acting like this, if I'm the one that's sick, and not her?

"You're a lot like your mother," she says.

My eyes widen. She shouldn't be able to know what I'm thinking. No one I've ever known has been able to.

"It comes in flashes," she tells me," Most of the time it's blank, but sometimes it's so clear that I can see memories."

"What have you seen?" I ask.

"Hardly anything," Angel answers," The only things that I've seen are memories from when you were really little. But the flashes only last for a few seconds."

"So it's gone already?"

"Yes," she sighs.

"What did you get this time?" I ask.

"Only that you're nervous, and worried. You're hiding things, but I know that it's for the better."

"You got all that," I whisper.

"Yeah," Angel chuckles.

"So what are you going to do about it?" I ask.

"I'm going to be there for you," she tells me," And if you are ever ready to tell me, I'll be ready to listen. But for now I'm going to help you get your stuff over to the house so that you and Fang can leave on time."

* * *

><p>"Do you have everything?" Fang asks, taking my suitcase from me.<p>

I nod. He throws both of our suitcases into the trunk of the car, and then comes around to my side, and holds my car door open for me. I thank him, and get in the car. Fang closes the door behind me. I look out the passenger window. Hannah stands at one of the first floor windows, with her hands folded over her chest. She isn't happy about the trip, as she's made it very the past weeks.

I turn my head to face straight ahead, when Fang gets into the drivers seat. He turns on the car, and pulls away from the house. I glance over at him. He smiles.

"You're staring," he smirks.

"Sorry," I mumble, looking back towards the road.

"It's okay," he laughs," I don't mind the attention. Max isn't exactly doting on me."

"She has a lot on her mind," I tell him.

"I know, but you'd think she would be a little bit happier to see me," he says," I am, after all, her first childs father, and the love of her life."

"It has to do with her other childs father, not you," I try to assure him.

"It's not my fault that they chose Mr, Perfect over me, Mr. Expiration Date," he sighs.

I stare down at my lap, and swallow.

"Oh, god," he stutters," I am so sorry, I didn't mean that."

"I know," I whisper.

The rest of the car ride is silent. We arrive at the airport what seems like hours later. He drives us to the private section of the airport, and we get out of the car. The plane is already waiting for us. We board the plane quickly, and within an hour of leaving home we take off.

* * *

><p><strong>I didn't mean for that chapter to take so long to write, but not much happened so it was hard for me to write. But I'm all done with it now. I did end up coming up with a playlist, so I'll post it below. PLEASE REMEMBER TO REVIEW! REVIEWS = INSPIRATION<strong>

When I Was Younger by Liz Lawrence

Good Morning Sunshine by Alex Day

Cosmic Love by Florence + The Machine

Are We There Yet by Ingrid Michaelson

Breathing Underwater by Metric

A Drop In the Ocean by Ron Pope

All About Us by He Is We

The Only Hope For Me Is You by My Chemical Romance

Where We Went Wrong by The Hush Sound

Misguided Ghosts by Paramore

Do You Remember by Ra Ra Riot

Cameo Lover by Kimbra

Last Hope by Paramore

The Green Gentleman by Panic! At The Disco

First Day of My Life by Bright Eyes

All I Need by Radiohead

Forever by Amber Pacific

Eet by Regina Spektor

Iris by The Goo Goo Dolls

O Children by Nick Cave

Wasting Away by Tonight Alive

Devotion by Hurts Fences by Paramore

Halcyon by Ellie Goulding

Sometimes by Miami Horror

Easy To Love by The Jezabels

Still Into You by Paramore

More Than Life by Whitley

When The Day Met The Night by Panic! At The Disco

You Are The Moon by The Hush Sound

I Know You Care by Ellie Goulding

No Tell by Smoke & Jackal

Kiss Me Again by We Are The In Crowd

Tonight by Miles Kane

...Like Clockwork by Queens of the Stone Age

Safe & Sound by Tonight Alive

**~Lillie :)**


	45. Shock (SOPHIE)

_**We don't expect things to happen, and when they do they hit us harder than we could have ever imagined. A few months ago children were shot in their school, and while my entire heart goes out to them, this time it hit a little bit closer to home. For those of you who don't live in my area you may not have understood why I titled the chapter how I did. This past Saturday (5/31/13) a girl named Molly, who is my age, was walking on the side of the road along with a couple of friends. They had been celebrating her birthday. At 11:18 pm a black car drove by and fired a gun. It struck Molly in the neck. Paramedics arrived within minutes, but it was already too late. Molly was pronounced dead at the scene. She was was fifteen years old. She was just about to finish her freshman year of high school. Molly would never hurt anybody. For the first time ever, I think a tragedy has true touched everyone in my community. Molly's death impacted her sister and brother schools, my school which she played lacrosse for, all of her friends, family, peers, and acquaintances. It shows how much a life is really worth. This has given many in the community a chance to take a step back and to observe their lives. From this I've seen how one life can change countless owners, and how you should take every opportunity that you can to get to know those around you. We love you and we miss you Molly. You have changed me more than you will ever know. Thank you so much Molly**__._

* * *

><p><strong>MAX POV<strong>

I groan as I roll over. My stomach growls. I laugh. That's all my body ever wants, food. I should get up and ask Fang to make me breakfast, before he leaves with Ash. He makes the best eggs.

I sit up and roll out of bed. After a difficult trip down the stairs I walk into the kitchen. The Flock sits at the table, with Hannah sitting in the corner of the room pouting, as usual.

"Where's Fang?" I yawn.

"He left," Nudge says.

"Why?" I ask," They aren't supposed to leave until after breakfast."

"Max, sweetheart," Nudge sighs," It's after noon. They left a few hours ago."

"Why didn't anyone wake me up," I break.

"We assumed that he had said goodbye," Angel confesses.

I take a step backwards. None of them had even noticed that I was gone. Fang didn't say goodbye. Suddenly, all the feelings that I felt twenty years ago come flooding back. I turn around, and walk towards that stairs as quickly as I can. I'm panting when I get to my room I make sure the door is locked behind me, before I throw myself onto the bed.

"Are you trying to lock me in?" a voice laughs.

I sit up immediately, whipping my head around to find where the voice came from. A figure steps out from the closet. I let out a scream. Dylan stands directly in front of me.

"Max?" I hear Angel call.

"I- I'm fine," I call back.

She must accept this, because she make any other efforts to figure out why I screamed. I scramble backwards, and pull the sheets up over my body. Dylan smiles.

"I always thought that I would be the father of your children, but I can see that another lucky guy has already beaten me to it," he smiles, taking another step towards me.

I remain silent.

"Whose is it?" he asks," No, wait, I bet you that I can figure it out. Let's see, Iggy. No, he's married to your sister, and I don't see you as the marriage ruining type. How about Gazzy? Nope, he's a little bit too young for you I think. Well, that only leaves Fang. How happy you must be. He didn't die after all, and you two now have your only little family."

I stare down at my stomach. I can't believe that he had the nerve to bring my baby into this.

"What's wrong, Max," he coos," Fang is alive, isn't he? Or is he not the father."

I look up, and glare at him.

"He isn't the father," Dylan gasps," Well do tell me who the fortunate man is."

I cock my head to one side, and let out a deep breath. His eyebrows raise in wonder. Dylan gives me a smirk.

"Does the famed Maximum Ride not know who the father of her child is?" he asks.

"It's you!" I hiss, finally breaking.

He takes a few steps back in shock. Dylan stops when his back hits the wall. I can tell that I've shaken him so badly that he may take a while to recover. I scurry out from under the sheet and rush down the stairs to find Angel. I run directly into her as I tear down the hall.

"What's going on?" she asks, steadying my balance so I won't fall.

"Dylan," I gasp.

She immediately grabs my hand and pulls me up the stairs. When we get to my room she locks the door behind us. Dylan, who is still visibly in shock, is now sitting on the ground, with his head on his knees.

"What's wrong with him?" Angel asks, cautiously approaching him.

"I told him about the baby," I confess.

"You telling him that you're pregnant sent him into shock?" She wonders, before muttering," Well it wouldn't be the first time."

"No, I told that he was the father," I explain," And what do you mean it's not the first time this has happened? Does this happen all the time?"

"He's the father?" she cries, with her eyes widening.

"What's going on, Angel?" I ask.

She gives me a sad expression. Angel looks as if she's on the brink of tears.

"When I was sixteen I got pregnant," she manages to tell me.

"And who was the father?" I growl, catching on.

"Dylan," she squeaks.

"And what happened to the baby?" I ask.

"I miscarried," she says, breaking down into sobs.

"Oh, baby," I sigh, walking over to her, and pulling her into a hug.

"I was five months along," Angel sobs," I was going to have a boy."

"It's okay," I soothe her.

Dylan stands up, and begins to pace back and forth. I glare at him. Of it weren't for the fact that I'm pregnant, I would murder him.

"I don't understand," he croaks.

"What don't you get?" I ask.

"How I'm the baby's father," Dylan clarifies.

"You were created by Dr. Gunther-Hagen as a substitute child slash medical experiment, and just because he's part of my extended family doesn't mean that I wouldn't put it below him," I say.

"You're related to him?" Dylan asks.

"Thankfully no," I tell him, before hesitating," My daughter married his grandson."

"You have a daughter?"

"Yes," I admit.

"How old?"

"She just turned twenty," I tell him.

"You were pregnant when you left?" he asks.

"Yes."

"And her father is Fang, I'm assuming," Dylan inquires.

That's when the thought suddenly hits me. Dylan is the father of this baby. I've always known that Fang is Ash's father. But what if I've been wrong all these years. What evidence do I have that proves that Fang is her father. What if Dylan is really her father and I never knew, because I always assumed that Fang was her father?

If Dylan is Ash's father, and Dylan is technically Dr. Gunther-Hagen's son, that would make Ash his granddaughter. And if she is Dr. Gunther-Hagen's granddaughter by Dylan she is also Ian's sister.

* * *

><p><strong>ASH POV<strong>

"Can I get you anything, miss," a flight attendant asks.

"No thank you," I tell her.

She gives me a smile, and walks a few steps back to the back of the plane. I hear her talking to another flight attendant. I move to where I can hear what they're saying.

"Who is she?" asks the other flight attendant.

"I don't know," says the other.

"Do you think she's his girlfriend?"

"No," counters the first attendant," Ava was an attendant a few weeks ago when she and her new husband were coming back from their honeymoon."

"That doesn't mean that she isn't his girlfriend," laughs the other.

"I don't think that Mr. Carlyle is the type of man who would be seeing a married woman," sighs the first, Cleary showing that she's disappointed that they can't figure out who I am.

"How would you know?" asks the second flight attendant," He's very secretive, he hardly lets anything about his private life slip out."

I hear someone cough behind me. I turn around to see Fang standing, watching them gossip.

"Mr. Carlyle!" one of them exclaims, clearly embarrassed.

"I hope that you two are being efficient," he says, calmly.

"Of course! We were just discussing some new work improvements," one of them lies.

"I see," he tells her," Well, I wouldn't want to distract you. How about you mo e to the front of the plane with me, Ash?"

He holds out a hand to me. I sigh and reluctantly take it. He know that they were talking about me, but he ignores it. Although I don't appreciate it, I decide that he handled it well enough. If he was any other person I probably would have ended up in the middle of a massive confrontation. We walk to the front of the plane, and sit down.

"I'm sorry about what I said earlier," he apologizes.

"I don't really want to talk about it right now," I tell him.

"Okay," he sighs.

"I'm going to take a nap," I say.

"Alright, do you want a pillow?" Fang asks.

"No," I tell him.

With that I turn to face away from him, and I shut my eyes. It takes longer than I expect to fall asleep, because I feel bad. Eventually my tiredness get the best of me, and I fall asleep.

* * *

><p>"Ash! Wake up!" Fang instructs me, shaking my me vigorously.<p>

"What?" I moan.

"GET UP!" he repeats, hiss voice growing louder.

There's a loud rumble, and everything begins to shake. My eyes fly open. I whip my head around in confusion.

"What's going on?!" I ask.

"THE PLANE IS CRASHING!" he yells over the noise.

Not a moment later the world goes dark.

* * *

><p><strong>I'd like to announce that I'm going to go on a hiatus. Merely I've been feeling a little stressed, and now I'm kind of under pressure to write for my other stories. I'll be writing for Sophie too, but I won't be posting. As much as I love my Ash series, it's not a priority at this moment, like it has been for so long. This will also give me a chance to rethink my priorities in life, which has suddenly become something which weighs heavily on me. Also, this isn't all that popular right now, and not very many people are reading it. If you are reading it i want to thank you so much, and to tell you that I love you. I often times don't show that I appreciate all that you guys do, so in taking this chance to thank you. You all get me through my tough weeks, and you give me something to look forward to every day. Thank you for all that you do, and all that you have done. Please continue to read and review.<strong>

**~Lillie :)**


	46. The Aftermath (SOPHIE)

**ASH POV**

I wake up flat on my back. Smoke is everywhere around me, causing my eyes to burn. I try to stand up, but everything hurts. I finally manage to crawl away from the smoke. I climb up a hill, and look down. I see half of the plane lying before me. Part of it is on fire.

I stare up at the sky. Judging by the position of the sun I know that I must have been out for at least twelve hours. It was night when the plane crashed. The plane crashed. Oh, god. Where's Fang?

"Fang?!" I yell.

I wait for a response, but there is none. He must have somehow made his way to the back of the plane when it crashed. Or was he sucked out of the plane when it tore in half? Literally anything could have happened to him. What if he's dead. He can't be dead. Without him I'll never get out of here. I can't lose him. He's my father and I only just met him. He can't be gone. I'm going to find him.

I stumble to another tree, hoping to get a better view. I have to rest some of my weight against it in order to support myself. Whatever happened when the plane went down has left me light headed, and breathless. My lungs contract, and I cough. When I bring my hand away from my mouth there is blood smeared across my skin. I should be more worried, but right now I'm thinking about Fang, and not myself like I should be. I can't afford to be injured right now.

I take in a deep breath, and begin to climb. Based on how the front of the plane landed I know that I need to walk the opposite direction. I would go back and check on the pilot, but I can easily tell by the way the nose of the plane is crushed that he was killed upon impact. I don't have time to worry about the pilot. I need to find Fang.

The sun partially blinds me as I walk, but I'm too determined to care. I have to find Fang before it gets dark. If I don't I'm not sure what will happen. I don't know where I am, and I don't know what lives in these woods. When I find him we'll have to get back to the plane, because it will be way too risky for me to climb a tree in my current condition. I don't need to injure myself any further.

After about a mile I'm out of breath, but I continue to push on. It is difficult to ignore the throbbing in my head, but I do. I occasionally have to stop because I feel like I might throw up. The only problem is that there isn't anything in my stomach, so I can't.

While attempting to go down a hill I slip and fall. The leaves help to cushion me, but a couple of sticks poke, and cut me on the way down. I jump up as soon as I reach the bottom. When I go the brush the dirt off of my jeans I see that my hands are covered in blood. This time I let out a scream, knowing that the blood isn't mine.

* * *

><p><strong>MAX POV<strong>

I wake up the next morning, with Angel laying next to me. I faintly remember Nudge finding us, and her giving Dylan a spare room. I suddenly remember everything that happened. Ian is Ash's brother. I start breathing heavily. I'm having a panic attack. It must be loud enough to wake up Angel, because she rolls over, and looks at me.

"What is it?" she asks, suddenly alert.

I gasp for air. She sits up, and begins rubbing my back. I try to calm down, and force air into my lungs.

"Breath, Max," she tells me.

When the panic attack finally subsides I'm left still breathing heavily. I lay back on the pillows. My lack of air has made me tired.

"I'll go get you some breakfast," Angel says, rolling out of bed.

She takes my robe and puts it on. It's too big for her, but I'm pregnant and she's not, so it's to be expected. A few minutes later there is a knock at the door.

"Just come in, Angel," I call.

"Actually, it's Dylan," they call back.

"Come in," I groan.

I don't particularly feel like talking to him. But I can't keep him out, and knowing him I know that he doesn't really pay attention to whether or not I give him permission. He'll just come in anyways.

He closes the door behind him, and walks over to the edge of my bed. He has a tired and worried look on his face, but honestly i think that he deserves it. Nothing can make me feel better that seeing Dylan unhappy. If it weren't for the fact that I'm pregnant he would already be dead and buried. But since I am pregnant the closest thing I'm going to see to Dylan being dead is Dylan being unhappy.

"I know that you're hiding something, Max," he says.

"And what would that be?" I ask, folding my arms over my chest.

"If I knew i wouldn't be up here," he tells me," Now would I?"

"Maybe you don't deserve to know," I taunt him.

"You will tell me."

"Oh, will I?" I sneer.

"Yes," he states simply.

"And how are you going to make that happen?" I ask.

"Well," Dylan says," First, I'm going to start by making Angel's life a living hell."

"Go on."

"Second, I'm going to take that baby," he continues.

"Over my dead body," I growl.

"I'm the baby's father, which gives me legal rights to it," he says.

"So what?" I spat.

"I will take you to court if I have to," he says.

"The mother always wins," I tell him.

"Not if she is declared insane," he counters.

"And how do you plan on making that happen?" I inquire.

"It would be easy to bring up the fact that you abandoned your daughter, and that you have multiple personality disorder, which caused you to live as someone else for eight whole year," Dylan explains.

He has more leverage. Dylan has his entire argument planned out. And with that charming smile, and those blue eyes of his he is bound to win, even if we are mutant freaks.

He cocks his head to one side, and raises his eyebrows.

I casually, Nd slowly reach my hand over to my nightstand, and pick up a book.

"Well are you going to tell me?" he asks.

"Give me a second," I smile sweetly.

I calculate for a minute before throwing the book as hard as I can manage.

"Your Dr. Gunther-Hagen's son!" I yell," Now get the hell out of my freaking bedroom, before I find something heavier to throw!"

* * *

><p><strong>ASH POV<strong>

A strong set of arms wrap around me, making me scream louder. I thrash and kick.

"Ash, stop!" Fang instructs me.

I immediately stop, and wiggle around to face him. I bury my head in his chest and begin to sob. He holds me tighter, and kisses the top of my head.

"I thought I lost you," he whispers.

"I shouldn't have said all those things to you," I cry.

"I deserved it," he assures me," And it only makes me love you even more than I already do."

"You love me," I sniff, through my tears.

"Of course I love you," he tells me," I'm your dad."

* * *

><p>I had this chapter already written, so I decided to post it. I hope you guys liked it. I worked hard it.<p>

PLEASE REVIEW! I'M BEGGING YOU! THEY MAKE ME SO HAPPY! AND THEY CAN MAKE THE DULL RAINY DAYS OF MY CITY BRIGHTER!

~Lillie :)


	47. Looking Up (SOPHIE)

**FANG POV**

After finding Ash, we make out way back to the front part of the plane. It takes us a few hours, but we eventually make it there. It's difficult for me to not show my pain. I haven't told her about my wing yet. It isn't until I sit down in one of the seats that I finally let out a moan.

"What's wrong?" she asks, as she opens one of the over head compartments in search of water.

"Nothing," I tell her.

"If nothing is wrong you wouldn't have made that noise," she sighs, giving up, and plopping down ito the seat beside mine.

"You're right," I say, grinding my teeth as a sharp pain hits my wing," I guess there isn't any point in lying.

"Take off your shirt," she tells me.

"Here?" I breath.

"No, outside," she rolls her eyes," Yes here."

We both stand up. I wince, as I slip my shirt over my head. She lets out a small gasp. Her fingers trace around where my wings connect to my back. A tingling runs down my spin, making me shiver. I don't expect her fingers to be cool and soft.

"Is it broken?" she whispers, motioning to my right wing.

"Yes," I say.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Ash asks, running her fingers across my feathers.

"I didn't want to worry you," I explain.

"Oh, if I had a dollar for every time someone said that, including me!" she mutters.

"You and me both," I chuckle, sloping the shirt back on and sitting down," The water and the food is in the second cabinet on the right from the cockpit door."

"Thanks," she mumbles, walking towards the cockpit.

She isn't one to really one to demand for details. Though I guess that's to be expected considering the fact that Max is her mother. Max has always been the demander, not the demandee. Ash probably never got the opportunity to ask questions growing up. We all hide things anyways, and she knows it.

She comes back with a bottle of water, and some band aids a few minutes later.

"Here," she says holding the band aids out to me.

"I don't really think that band aids solve this problem," I laugh taking the band aids.

"It's worth a shot," she sighs.

She sits down next to me, and brings her hand up to her forehead. Her cheeks are a bit red, but I attribute that to the fact that we've just hiked a few miles. Even still, I know that she doesn't feel well.

"Are you okay?" I ask.

"Yeah," she smiles, weakly," I'm just a little bit exhausted, that's all."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

* * *

><p><strong>MAX POV<strong>

_I know that I'm bleeding. I can feel it. My sense of reality is fading, and I'm getting closer to the ground. Finally I feel my feet touch the forest floor. I have to do something, if I don't I'll die._

_I stumble through the trees, until I come to a barn. A barn means people. I'm so desperate right now that I don't care finds me. I manage to make it to a pile of hay, before I collapse. All I can think about is how I'm going to die, and my baby along with me._

I sit up in bed, clutching the sheets to my chest. I'm gasping for air. One hand instinctively flies to my stomach. It's still warm and round. I have nothing to worry about. My baby is completely fine. Out of having four children I've never lost a baby, even when I was close to. My baby is, and will be fine. Unless... I jump out of bed as the thought hits me. I need to get Angel.

I open my door, and walk down the hall. I trip over something, but I keep going. I search around in the dark for the door knob. When I find it I knock. I hear voices, and shuffling around. About a minute later the door opens.

"What is it, Max?" Nudge moans, leaning against the door for support.

"I'm sorry," I tell her in a hushed voice," I thought this was Angel's room."

I awkwardly turn around, and walk to the next door over. Nudge closes her door and follows me. I don't even bother knocking this time, I just walk in and turn the light on. Mark and Angel sit up immediately.

"What's going on?" Angel yawns.

"I need to talk to you," I say.

"Just um, uh," she stutters, waving her hand, as if she's trying to collect her thoughts," Um, Mark, can you give us a minute?"

"Yeah," he groans, rolling out of bed," I'll just go do what a normal person does at three in the morning."

"Thanks," Angel smiles.

Mark gives me a pat on the back, as he leaves. I feel band, but it's important. Angel can tell him later. Angel motions for Nudge and I to sit on the bed. Nudge follows me to the bed.

"So what's going on?" Angel asks.

"This is going to sound crazy, but I just want you to hear me out."

"You're usually tight about things, Max," Angel says," So whatever you have to say is probably not crazy."

"Okay, here goes nothing," I sigh," You know how you said that you had a miscarriage?"

I can tell that I've surprised her. This isn't something that she really wants to discuss, but I know that she'll let me. Angel knows that this is all going somewhere. She nods, showing that she understands.

"Well," I explain," I almost lost Ash, when I was pregnant with her."

"Go on," she tell me, staring down at her lap.

"What if that's what's supposed to happen?" I ask, leaving out Ella as and example.

"I don't understand," Angel says.

"What if we're supposed to have miscarriages," I clarify," The School never intended for us to escape. They wanted us to stay there so they could study us. They probably wanted us to reproduce, so that they could study us more. They could have easily programmed our bodies to miscarry, so that they could study our children. And of course some of them would have to live, so that they continue their studies."

"Kinsey," whispers Nudge.

"What?" I ask.

"Kinsey had a twin," Nudge says.

"She did?" Angel asks.

"Yeah," Nudge answers," Brian and I never told anyone. We didn't want her to blame herself."

"So what does this mean?" Angel asks.

"That it's risky to have kids," I say," And to not take anything for granted."

"Just when things were starting to look up, it turns out that there's something more for us to discover," Angel mutters.

* * *

><p><strong>IGGY POV<strong>

I stare down at the pho e in my hand. I'm not sure that I want to do this. The last time I spoke to the Flock was at my wedding. And they were only there because Ells made me invite them. What if no one picks up the phone, or what if they're still alder, even if it is one in the afternoon?

I take a deep breath and go for it. The phone rings a few times. I think that no one will pick up, but then someone picks up.

"Hello?" a voice answers.

"Who is this?" I ask.

"Max."

No one told me that they had found Max. Even though I'm not on speaking terms with the Flock I still have the right to know. After all, Max is the reason that we aren't in speaking terms. It's hard to stay close when your family blames you for something that you have no control over, even if you do live in the same city. Though Ella talked to them often, and I know pretty much everything about their lives.

"You're alive," I croak.

"Yes," she says," Now who is this?"

I hang up before I answer. I don't want to talk to her, or anyone for that matter. How could they not tell me. How could Ella not tell me? I deserved to know. It makes me wonder what other things I haven't been told.

* * *

><p><strong>ASH POV<strong>

"Wake up, Ash," Fang says, shaking my shoulders," Wake up!"

"God," I moan," Is that how you're always going to wake me up?"

"Get up!"

"What, why?" I ask.

"There's blood everywhere!" he exclaims.

I look down. He's right. I'm sitting in a puddle of blood.

* * *

><p><strong>So I guess that I'm off hiatus. I feel like I'm at a good place with my other stories (not the Perks of Being a Father, but it's okay). I can't ever stay away from Ash for very long. I need her.<strong>

**I have this idea. In the reviews you guys can ask anything you want. It can be about Ash, me or whatever. There's no limit to how many questions you can ask. So ask away. I'll answer them all in the next chapter.**

**Please review!**

**~Lillie :)**


	48. Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again

**_FUN FACT: Ian's last name was originally going to be Maren_**

* * *

><p><strong>IGGY POV<strong>

The sound of the phone ringing wakes me up. I groan, and reach out to grab the phone. It's probably Ella calling me.

"Hello," I croak.

"Iggy!" Nudge exclaims.

"What do you want?" I growl.

"Please don't hang up!" she cries," We've been trying to get a hold of Dr. Martinez, but she isn't picking up her phone, and we were hoping that Ella could help us."

"They're in Wenatchee," I tell her," So I don't know what to do for you."

"Oh no," she whispers," We thought she was in Seattle."

"Well, she's not."

"Iggy, I know that this is a lot to ask, but we need you to go get her, and fast," she says.

"If it's that bad just go to a hospital," I sigh, getting annoyed with how long this conversation is.

"Just shut up!" she explodes," You are going to go get Dr. Martinez and you are going to bring her here. This is a life or death situation and I don't want to hear your crap. You have two hours to get her here, and it's a two and a half hour drive, so I suggest that you figure out how you're going to get her here."

Before I have the chance to say anything, she hangs up, leaving me to figure out what to do. I don't know what's going on, but whatever it is it has to be serious. If it wasn't Nudge wouldn't have been will to so much as said a word to me. I'm not sure what I'll do, but it has to be quick.

* * *

><p><strong>ASH POV<strong>

I shift in my seat, moving so that I face the window. I can't sleep. To my surprise, Fang is staring straight at me, from the next seat over.

"What are you doing?" I gasp.

"I don't know," he answers," Making sure you don't die in your sleep, I guess."

"You don't need to do that," I tell him," I'm fine."

"You just had a miscarriage, you are not fine," he says.

"I shouldn't have told you," I mutter," It had nothing to do with you."

"This has everything to do with me," he retorts," I'm your father.

"Yes," I agree,"But you're not the baby's father, or you weren't I should say."

"Well he isn't here right now, so you'll must have to put up with me."

"Just like you weren't there," I whisper.

"That's different and you know it," Fang says, looking down at his lap.

"Is it really?" I ask," You weren't there, and he isn't here. You didn't know, and he doesn't know. The only difference is that you came out with an alive child in the end."

"You didn't tell him?!" He exclaims, whipping his head up to look at me.

"How could I?" I demand, beginning to feel myself break," By the time I felt that it was safe to tell him he was already packing for Germany, and you had just asked me to come to Chicago with you. If I had told him he wouldn't have gone, and I would feel guilty for being the reason that he didn't visit Elzabeth one last time. If he had known be wouldn't have even considered going, not after what we went through."

"How far along were you?"

"Three and a half months, maybe a little bit more," I tell him.

"What?!" he chokes," You were three and a half months along. That's a big deal, Ash."

"I know, but another reason I didn't say anything was that I didn't want to get anyone's hopes up," I confess," For reasons which are most likely very obvious now."

"It doesn't seem like you were very happy about it."

"I was, I just got so used to forcing myself to be realistic, and hiding how happy I was that I don't really know how to act. Right now you probably think that I'm indifferent, but I'm really not. I'm heartbroken. We're still young, but I was ready, I really was. And now Ian's gone, and we don't have a baby, again," I tell him.

"You'll have a baby, I promise," Fang tells me.

"That's what Ian said, and yet here we are."

"Well, you-" he begins to say.

"What did you do with it?" I interject.

"What did I do with what?" he asks.

"The baby," I answer.

"I don't understand what you mean," Fang says.

"I had a miscarriage," I tell him," That means the baby is gone. You should have found it. The baby would have been about the size of my fist."

"The wasn't a baby," he insists," I would have noticed something that big."

"Oh, god," I groan. "What is it?" he asks.

"The baby's still inside me."

"That's good!" he says," It means that you didn't lose the baby."

"No, Fang," I say," It means that the baby is still inside me, and I'll most likely get an infection. And since we're nowhere near a hospital we won't have anything to treat me with, which means that I'll die."

* * *

><p><strong>IGGY POV<strong>

I'm waiting for Dr. Martinez when she gets off of the plane. She doesn't look to happy that I had her rushed out here.

"This had better be good, Iggy," she growls, handing me her massive medical bag," I hope that whatever it is it's worth me leaving Ella and the kids all alone in the middle of nowhere.

"Me too," I sigh, leading her towards the car.

I ended up having to fly Dr. Martinez on a private plane, to a private air field. You don't even want to know how expensive that is. Nudge had better have a pretty damn good reason for this. It takes us half an hour to drive to her house. The only reason we don't get lost is because Dr. Martinez has been to her house before.

I help her out of the car. She is still frustrated, but I can tell that she is happy that she's going to see Nudge. Honestly, I'm a little bit curious. I haven't seen Nudge and Angel in ten years. I'm standing behind her when she knocks. I'm still a little bit nervous about seeing the girls in so long. Things haven't been good between us in over eighteen year, ever since they blamed me for Max leaving. Nudge answers the door a few moments later. She looks like she's about to have a nervous breakdown.

"You're here!" she says," We didn't think that you would come."

"Of course I came," Dr. Martinez tells her," I can't say that I'm happy about it, but I'm here aren't I. Now what do you need me for."

"You won't be happy about this," Nudge mutters, taking her hand.

I watch as Nudge pulls Dr. Martinez into the house, and up the stairs. I step into the house, and close door behind me. I awkwardly sit at the bottom of the stairs. A few minutes later there is a blood curdling scream. I stand up and bolt up the stairs.

* * *

><p><strong>NUDGE POV<strong>

Pull Dr. Martinez up the stairs, towards Max's room, leaving Iggy to wait. I don't have time to fully explain what's going on. I lead her to Max's room. When I open the door she stops dead in her tracks.

"Max," she gasps.

I nod, and pull her into the room, and take her bag from her. Dr. Martinez numbly walks over the the edge of the bed.

"Mom," Max whispers, opening her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Dr. Martinez asks.

"She went into preterm labor," I answer," She isn't due for another two months."

"So I suppose that this is grandchild number two that I don't know about," Dr. Martinez mutters.

"Five," Max coughs.

Dr. Martinez takes a deep breath. She walks over to me and reaches into her bag. After a minute of two of fiddling around in her bag she pulls out a little glass vial, and a syringe. She slowly walks back over to Max, and takes her wrist. Max lets put a deafening scream when she sees the needle.

"It's okay,' I assure her, as Iggy bursts into the room.

"What the hell are you doing up here?" he asks, letting his eyes dart from me, to Max, to Dr. Martinez.

"Iggy, take Max's hand," Dr. Martinez orders, ignoring his question," Nudge, you take the other hand.

I obey her order, and take Max's hand. It takes Iggy a few moments, before he finally decides to listen. As we stand there holding her hands, I look up at Iggy. He must feel that I'm looking at him, because his eyes meet mine. For the first time since Angel and I alienated him, I realize just how much I've missed him.

"Thank you," I mouth, before looking back down at Max.

* * *

><p><strong>Terminado! I finally finished it! Even though I guess I only started it yesterday, but still. I knew that I should post this before I disappear in a place where cell phones aren't allowed. Don't worry, it's camp, and it's only until next week. So until then I give you this.<strong>

**P.S. Did you notice the little fun fact at the beginning of the chapter?**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

**~Lillie :)**


	49. Where We Are Now (SOPHIE)

**MAX POV**

"Mom?" I croak, opening my eyes.

"I'm here,"she whispers, taking my hand.

"What happened?" I ask.

"Iggy called me," she says," And I came, and I gave you something to stop your labor."

"You came, after everything that I've done," I whimper.

"Of course I did," she soothes.

"I'm so sorry."

"Don't be," she says," We've all done things that we wish we could take back."

"Some of us more than others," I tell her.

"You didn't do anything wrong. You were protecting your daughter."

"I know, but looking back now I think that I was wrong with how I did it," I sigh.

"Well, if what Angel was willing to tell me about her is true, you did an excellent job of raising her," my mom smiles, rubbing circles on my hand with her thumb," I hear that she's quit the image of you, in most ways."

"You could say that," I chuckle softly," She isn't me though."

"Of course not, sweetheart," she assures me," No one could ever be you. And speaking of your little mini-you, were is she?"

"She's in Germany, with her husband, and Fang, " I say.

"Wow," my mom murmurs," Already married."

"Yeah, tell me about it. The last time I saw her was when she was eleven. And then two months ago this woman shows up. I missed some of the most important years of her life."

"That tends to be the feeling of all mother, whether or not you miss those years in between being a girl and an adult," she sighs.

"It's really amazing," I tell her.

"Ha," my mom laughs," You're telling me."

"I guess you can relate."

"Yeah," she smiles," How old is she again?"

"She just turned twenty last month," I whisper, not believing it myself.

"And what's her name?" my mom asks.

"You already k ow her name," I breathe, disbelieving that she doesn't know.

"I mean her full name sweetie," my mom laughs.

"Oh," I say, slightly embarrassed," Ashler Ella Marie Ride, but I guess that it's just Ash Mares now."

"Well that's a little bit of a mouthful," she utters," And Valencia isn't even in her name."

"I had just turned sixteen when I had her," I retort," And I'm sorry about not incorporating your name."

"It's fine," she smiles," I was only kidding. It's a beautiful name, honey."

"Okay..." I mumble.

"Do you have any pictures of her?" Mom asks," I think the pictures that Ella showed me are a little out of date, by about fifteen years."

"Yeah," I yawn," There are pictures from her wedding on the top shelf, in my closet."

"Great!" she exclaims, letting go of my hand.

She stands up, and walks over to my closet. I watch as she opens the closet door, and stands on her tip toes. Her hands begin to feel around the right side of , for the pictures.

"They're on the left side," I tell her.

Just as she pulls her hands out of the closet, and brings her feet back to the ground, something falls to the floor. I sit up, a little bit, craning my neck to see what it is. My mom leans over, and picks it up. when she stand back up I can see that she's holding a picture in her hands. Her eyes scan across the paper.

"It's for you," she says, holding it out to me.

"I don't understand," I tell her.

"I think it's a letter," she elaborates," And judging by the look of it, I'd say that it's old. As in probably about twenty years old."

* * *

><p><strong>NOTE:<strong>

Madhavi is pronounced Maud-vee

Marya is pronounced Muh-ray-uh (Mary is Marya's nickname)

Nani means grandmother

Mata means mother

Pallev is pronounced Puh-lev

* * *

><p><strong>FANG POV<strong>

"Give Nani a hug before we go," Mary tells me.

_"_My Marya, always in hurry to get somewhere," Madhavi laughs, pulling me into her arms.

"Yes, yes, I know,"Mary sighs," But we really need to go."

"Oh, fine," Madhavi says, releasing me," You can go."

"Thank you mata," Mary smiles, giving Madhavi a kiss.

"I love you, Marya," Madhavi whispers.

"I love you too, mata," Mary tells Madhavi," But don't call me Marya."

"Always so dramatic," Madhavi rolls her eyes," I'll never understand why she can't just use the name I gave her."

"Because Marya is not an American name, but Mary is."

"Whatever you say Marya," Madhavi chuckles.

* * *

><p>I sit up in my seat. When I look over, I find Ash staring at me.<p>

"Did you sleep well?" she asks.

"I guess," I mumble.

"Seemed like you were having an interesting dream," she muses.

"It was about my mother, grandmother," I tell her.

"Care to tell?"

"Why not?" I sigh," I haven't told you about them yet.

**MAX POV**

I'm about to get out of bed, when she tells me to stop. Right. I'm on bed rest. This is really going to suck. I can't even get out of bed to take a freaking letter from my mom. This is pathetic. She walks over, and hands me the letter. I open it as quickly as I can.

_August 5, 2010_

_Dear Max,_

_I know that when I left I told not to look for me, but I can't stop thinking about how I was wrong to say that. I realize that telling you all this defeats the purpose of me leaving to protect you, however I'm selfish when it comes to you. I need you so badly. It's nearly impossible for me to live without you. I'm not saying that you have to come, I'm just saying that if you ever need help, and you'll let me give it, I'm here for you._

_It was wrong of me to leave you in the way that I did, but I think that looking back, even you can understand how there was really no other way for me to leave. I knew that I had to leave when you weren't there, or else it would have been too hard, for the both of us. We've been through so much, and been hurt so many times, but when I left you it was by far the most painful thing that I've ever done._

_I know you may never forgive me for what I've done, and heck I may never forgive myself, but if you're willing to try, so am I. I miss you, Max, much more than you will ever know. The thing that I want to tell you most of all is that I love you. I love the way you smile, the way your hair hits the light, the way you kiss, and the way your warm chocolate eyes glow in the sun. I love you. I love you. I love you._

_I really should stop now. This letter isn't to process the love that you already know about, but to reaffirm it. It's also to tell you how to find me. I never told you this, but when I went to Dr. Gunther-Hagan he told me about my mother. He explained to me that some years ago he worked with a man named Jefferson Carlyle. Jefferson and his wife Madhavi had a daughter named Mary. When Mary was sixteen she got pregnant. Jefferson took this as an opportunity to copy what Hans had don with his on grandchild, and experiment on Mary and her unborn child. When Mary gave birth she was told by her father that her baby had died, when in reality the baby was taken to the School. Mary had gone through her entire pregnancy not knowing that her baby wasn't normal. The only person who knew anything about what the baby really was was Jefferson. Madhavi, and Mary never knew that the baby lived. They never knew that he grew up in a cage, or that he had wings. Most of all, they didn't know that the past would show up at their doorstep__**.**_

_When I showed up Mary almost immediately accepted who I was. I had barley even told I was her son when she pulled me into her arms. Maybe there was always a piece of her deep down that tilde her that I was still alive. And while Jefferson had died a few years before, and he couldn't back up my story, it was clear that I wasn't lying. Even Madhavi knew who I was._

_"He looks just like Pallev," Madhavi said, when she saw me._

_As it turns out, I'm three quarters Indian. Madhavi, and Mary have been teaching me everything about the culture. It's truly beautiful. I only wish that you could see all the colorful saris that Madhavi wears. I've only been with them for two weeks, and yet I don't think I've ever felt so at home. It's amazing to finally know what it feels like to know who your family is, and where you belong. For once I don't wonder about who I am, even if Mary is keeping Pallev (my father) a secret._

_I know that the past six months can't have been easy for you, and so I'm taking this chance to try to fix what I've done. I realize that i said this was for if you needed help, but in all honesty, I want you to be with me Max. I'm in downtown Chicago, waiting for you. I won't be too specific about where I am, since I know that I could simply tell you that I'm in the eastern United States and you'd still find me._

_Oh, Max, I could go on forever, but I know that if I do you'll never be done reading, and you'll never find me. Please remember how much I love you._

_I'm waiting,_

_Fang_

I drop the letter on the bed. Normally I would try to hold back my tears, but right now I can't. I never saw this letter. I could have found him. My mom leans over, and takes the letter from me. She must be curios as to what could bring me to tears.

"He never really left," she whispers.

""The date," I cry," What was the date?"

"August 5th, 2010," she answers.

That was four months after I left the Flock, and a mere two weeks after I had given birth to Ash. I I hadn't have left I would have been there when this letter came, and I could have found Fang. Ash could have had a completely different life. She could have had a father, and siblings that aren't twenty years younger than her. She could have always had me there, but instead I left the Flock. I never knew that I could have found him.

* * *

><p><strong>ANGEL POV<strong>

"I really should have heard from her by now," I sigh, setting my cell phone down on the counter.

"She's probably off exploring with Ian," Nudge tells me.

"Seriously, Nudge?"

"What?" she asks, reaching up into the cupboard, to grab a box of macaroni.

"I have talked to her nearly every single day for the past eight months. She's one of my best friends. Do you really think that she wouldn't call me?" I rant.

"Maybe her phone died," Nudge offers, setting the box down onto the counter.

"They went to Germany, not the moon, Nudge," I huff.

"Look," Nudge says, pulling out a pot," I don't know what to tell you."

"Not like you ever do," I mutter.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she asks, setting the pot down, with a loud noise.

"You aren't exactly the best person to go to for advice."

"Oh, really?" she demands, narrowing her eyes.

"Yes," I say.

"And how, may I ask, did you come to this conclusion?" she presses.

"Oh, just forget it," I hiss," This isn't worth it."

"I don't think I will," Nudge says," This is worth it to me. I want to know what you mean."

"Fine!" I growl, letting my voice begin to raise," You want to know what I'm talking about? Well I'll tell you! You think that it's only normal that Ash should go for long periods of time, since she wasn't raised talking to her mother everyday! I'm sorry if Max didn't keep her daughter on such a tight leash! In case you forgot, Max couldn't really be there. It's not Max's fault! You'd think that after she raised you you'd have a little bit more sense! I can't honestly believe that you can't see that you're ruining your daughters life. If that girl so much as get fifteen feet away from you you freak out! All you do all the time is micromanage that poor girl. I know you pretend that you're going to let her do ally these things, but you never do! Like with the boarding school thing, she wants to go so badly, but she knows you'll never let her. And when you tell her that she can't go she won't even say a word against your decision, because she always knew that the answer was no. Did you ever even think to ask what she wants? Bo, you didn't, because if you did you would know that all she ever wanted from you is some space, and a younger sibling!"

I watch as she takes a couple of steps backwards. I know I shouldn't of said those things, but I've been holding them in for too long. I'm so tired of her being a control freak. She thinks that if she controls everything she has a perfect life. To her it's almost as if she thinks that she'll feel normal. But in case she forgot, we aren't.

"Do you really think that?" she ask, with her voice wavering.

"Yes," I say.

"Then, if we're being honest, I don't think that you should stay here anymore," she tells me.

"Alright, I'll be out of here by tomorrow, and Mark too."

I can tell by the her face changes that she also regrets what she said. However much regretful it is, it's also just as equally truthful. Looking back now, I can see that this has been coming for some time. I was always bound to snap, it was just a matter of when.

"So that's it then, I guess," she sighs.

"I guess," I counter, as I begin to make my way to the door," Well, I'd better go start packing."

* * *

><p><strong>NUDGE POV<strong>

"Can I come in?" I ask, knocking on the door.

"Yeah," Kinsey calls.

"Hey," I say, pushing open the door," Can we talk?"

"Sure."

"I've decided something," I tell her, sitting down on the bed.

A worried look crosses her face. Maybe Angel was a tiny bit right.

"What is it?" she asks cautiously.

"I've decided to let you go to that school in New York," I say.

"Really?" she gasps," What did dad say?"

"He didn't say anything," I answer," Because he doesn't know that I'm letting you go. He's wanted you to go all along, but I said no, but you probably already knew that."

"Thank you so much!" the cries, throwing her arms around my neck.

"No problem," I mumble.

"What's wrong?" she asks, pulling back.

"I never told you why I didn't have any more babies after you," I start," And I think now is a good time to tell you."

"Alright," Kinsey says.

"You had a twin," I sigh.

"I did?"

"Yes," I confirm, letting Angel's words replay in my mind," When I lost the other baby, I felt so helpless, and not in control. I decided that since I couldn't control what happened, I wouldn't ever put myself in another situation where I wouldn't be in control, which meant no more kids. I became more controlling after that, as you can tell, and that's pretty much how we got to where we are now."

"So does this mean that you're giving up some control?" she asks.

"I guess it does," I tell her.

"And does mean I might have a younger brother or sister one day?"

"Maybe," I laugh," Just maybe."

* * *

><p><strong>ANGEL POV<strong>

"Alright," I say grabbing the remote off the bed," We need turn off the tv. I really need your help packing. I told her that we'd be out of hear by tomorrow."

"You can't be seriously be going through with this," he says, giving me a blank stare.

"I am, now get up," I tell him.

"Shhhh," he hisses.

"Don't you dare shush me," I growl.

"No, seriously!" he exclaims, not taking his eyes off of the tv ," You need to stop talking, this is really important."

I move my gaze over to the tv. Whatever movie is that he's been watching has been interrupted for a National announcement. I watch as the White House seal fades, just as a representative approaches the podium.

"First, fore mostly I would like to apologize on behalf of the White House for interrupting your evening. As much as we would prefer to not interrupt your activities, we feel that this currently takes precedence. At 14:00 President Hudson formally resigned from his duties. At 14:05 Vice President Larson formally resigned from his post as well. While Secretary Alderson has taken office, she has elected to not permanently retain the position. President Alderson has stated that it would not be fair for her to permanently assume the duties or president, as she did not run for the position. President Alderson feel that a new president should be elected, from a pool of candidates. The candidates will be chosen by their previous actions, and by that of which that the nation desires expressively. The new president will be voted on blindly. The nation will fairly select a new president based on qualities, and not gender or bias. On November 18, 2030, in one months time, information regarding the presidential candidates will be released. While President Alderson will not be officially sworn into office, the White House asks that you treat her as would treat former President Hudson. We would like to thank you in advance for you cooperation, and your understanding, as we know that it is no small task on your part. Good evening

I watch, dumbfounded, as she steps away from the podium, and disappears behind the White House seal.

"What does this mean?" I whisper, dropping the remote.

"I don't know," he says, taking my hand," But there's definitely more to it than they're willing to tell us."

"This isn't right," I tell him," Alderson should have taken the position."

"Unless she was told not to."

"But who would tell her not to take the presidency?" I ask.

"Someone who has tactic, and power," he answers," And someone who wants to be elected."

* * *

><p><strong>Well that was a little bit of a lengthy one. It took me two whole weeks to finish this, so I hope you like it. This chapter had a ton going on.<strong>

**PLEASE REVIEW! AND GIVE SUGGESTIONS!**

**~Lillie :)**


End file.
